The Girl Who Skipped Through Time
by crazygurl12
Summary: She fell inlove with a man from the past. He fell inlove with a girl from the future. KakaHina.
1. Chapter 1

_This is dedicated to Attyka. She loves KakaHina pairing…btw. This is a one shot but if this story reaches a lot of followers…I might consider making this a long one. Please check out my other fanfics!_

_Warning: English is not my first language._

_Flashbacks are written in italics with (f) marks on the beginning and end._

-o-o-o-

Chapter One

(f_) Fifteen-year-old Hatake Kakashi felt his heart stop beating for the first time. It may have been physiological, but he did not bother to ponder upon it too long. Beating or not…he knew that his heart was going to get destroyed anyway._

_"I'm sorry." He muttered, looking at the eyes of a crying girl standing just an arm's length away from him. Even in tears, he couldn't deny that she was very, very beautiful. In a small part of his mind, he had an urge to put on his Anbu mask. He wanted to cover his face…to hide his real emotions from her._

_"Don't do this…I'm willing to stay here with you."_

_He shook his head. "No…You don't belong here. You belong in the future…."_

_"Kakashi…I love you." The girl sobbed, hands shaking as she tried to wipe the tears that just would not stop. Taking deep breaths in case she fainted, the girl looked at his half covered face._

_The Hatake decided that it was better for him not to give her any response. It would just hurt her more… "We will see each other again in the future…you said so yourself."_

_"But you won't notice me…you are—"_

_"Older?"_

_"H-hai…and much more engrossed with your work." The woman shook her head. "And I won't remember anything of these when I returned to my time…Yondaime said so."_

_"You belong in your time…I belong here." With an apologetic look, he began to weave hand seals—much to her horror. "We cannot defy time…so I was ordered by the fourth Hokage to send you back. Now that we know how to open the time portal by the use of jutsu."_

_The girl covered her face, knowing that she could never change his mind._

_"I'm sorry…" He kneeled, placing his palms firmly on the ground just as ancient inscriptions began to appear around them in bright blue lights. The girl's body also began to glow._

_"I love you…" He heard her said in a low, defeated voice. Closing his eyes, Kakashi performed the last seal. Everything around them turned so bright that it was impossible to see anything. When the unearthly light disappeared, Hatake was left alone on the small clearing._

_"See you in the future…Hinata." (f)_

Maito Gai raised a fist in the air as he took a bite of his favorite dumplings. "Good food is also a symbol of youth!" Munching on it enthusiastically, Konoha's green beast gave his friend and long time rival a smack on the back. "Hey…another contest after this?"

Hatake Kakashi pretended not to hear, instead, he focused his attention on the small book that he was holding. He was nearing the end of the Icha-Icha paradise volume six book that he doesn't want any disturbance.

"Hey now Kakashi…"

"I'm reading Gai."

"Just one rivalry contest."

Kakashi sighed. "We have been doing the rivalry thing for twenty years. Let's give it a rest."

Half an hour later, Kakashi found himself sitting on a tree branch near training ground thirteen. No matter how hard he explained to Gai that he was not interested in a contest, the green beast was just too enthusiastic and he found it hard to let him down.

In the end, he agreed.

With another sigh, he leaned on the tree and pulled out the same orange book that he was reading earlier. Good thing he found a nice, quiet spot…no one would dare disturb him in here. This was his favorite reading place after—

"Kiba-kun! Slow down!"

The masked Shinobi froze and the book in his hand suddenly forgotten as he focused his attention on the training ground below. He knew the owner of that soft voice…

"Hinata…you need to be faster if you want to keep up you know." The Inouzuka said and crossed his arms. Beside him, his giant Ninken wiggled his tail as he licked his master's arm. "Stop it Akamaru! You're drooling all over my arm."

Kakashi saw a long haired girl ran to the much faster male. Gasping for breath, he saw her smile. "Gomenasai…I am much slower than you Kiba-kun…so I can't really catch up even if I tried."

"Nah…don't sweat about it. I'll wait for you anyway." Kiba gave the girl a pat on the head. "I'll never leave my teammate behind."

The Hyuga blushed.

Kakashi felt his insides churn.

All around Konoha, his love life was considered the most mysterious of all. People loved to gossip about him…about his issues with women. It had been a usual question and he really didn't pay any attention. He heard some say that his heart was broken when Rin died…

Some say that he was not the marriage type so he gave up on women…

Some say that he can't love because he was very dedicated to Shinobi life.

Staring at the girl below, Kakashi shook his head and let a faint smile hovered on his covered lips. No one really knew who he left his heart to…and he preferred to keep it that way.

-o-o-o-

_Here ends the chapter. I'm going to add a few more just for fun. I love Kakashi and this is my first fic about him._

_Please review._

_-crazygurl12_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for the reviews guys! And let me warn you. My grammar is not perfect._

_Flashbacks are written in italics with (f) marks on the beginning and end._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Kakashi Hatake: (Past) 15 years old.

(Present) 31 going to 32 years old

Hinata Hyuga: (Past) 16 years old

(Present) 17 years old…going to 18.

Chapter Two

_(f) Minato Namikaze—Konohagakure's fourth Hokage—stared at the blue haired girl sitting in front of him with wonder. Deep inside his mind, he knew that it was not normal to be talking to her right now. He was not even supposed to see her…for she should not be existing in this time._

_Well…she should be existing—but she was supposed to be a baby inside her mother's womb._

_"You said from our last talk…that you are from the future?" Minato asked the girl. He noticed that she was looking at him in a weird way even though she nodded in response to his question. For a moment, he was tempted to ask why she was looking at him like that…like she knew him or she knew something about him. "And you're name is Hinata Hyuga…am I right?"_

_"Ha-hai."_

_"You said you are supposed to be Hiashi's daughter?" Minato asked again, noticing that the girl flinched when he mentioned the Hyuga clan head's name. "And you are his first born…"_

_"Hai. T-that's right."_

_In normal circumstances, he would never believe such story. Hiashi Hyuga was still young, and imagining him to be the father of this sixteen or so year old girl was not possible. Currently, Hiashi's wife was pregnant with their first baby…and she was not due until a few months time._

_And it was like telling himself that he was talking to that baby right now._

_Unfortunately, he had to believe the girl for he has no choice. Minato was there when she appeared after a flash of the brightest unearthly light he has ever seen. It was midnight, and he was doing some overdue paperwork in his office when he saw the said "light" just outside his office a few days ago. The girl appeared then, unconscious._

_She said that the blue light was a time portal…something that connects her time to his._

_"How can you go back? Is it some kind of jutsu?" Minato leaned back on his chair as he studied her face. Looking closely, he was amazed to see the resemblance of Hiashi and his wife to this girl—only adding to the fact that she was telling the truth and not doing some kind of teenage prank._

_"Hai. A forbidden jutsu to be exact." Hinata bit her lip before opening her mouth again to speak. Being with Naruto-kun's dad right now was something that she couldn't wrap her mind around just yet. Back in her real time, Minato Namikaze's son was one of her closest friends. It saddened her that she was talking to the father that Naruto never got the chance to meet in real life. "I don't know Yondaime…I was brought in this time by accident. It was said to be a lost technique. You see… I am on a mission with Naruto—"Hinata stopped when she realized that she mentioned something that she was not supposed to mention._

_"Naruto…" Minato blinked as he repeated the name. Naruto was the name that Kushina—his red haired wife, picked for their future baby…and just a few weeks ago, his wife told him that she was pregnant. "Naruto is…?"_

_"I'm sorry…I cannot say anything about him Yondaime." Hinata lowered her gaze. "I am afraid that even a simple spill of knowledge from the future might result in something drastic. Time is something that should not be tampered with… And me, being here, was not supposed to happen in the first place. So I must try my best not to create any ripple that might change the future…If I do, I might destroy the chance of going back to my time. There might also be lives that won't exist in the future…fates that would change…"_

_"I see… Small ripples create bigger ones. "Minato pressed his lips together. "Changing the past will change the future…so you will try your best not to cause anything that might change what happened in your time. I understand…and honestly, I think it's safer that way."_

_"Gomenasai…" Hinata apologized. "It is an absolute rule."_

_"And you are also asking me about keeping you hidden from anyone?"_

_Hinata clenched her hands together, trying to ease the fear inside. She may not show it—for she was trying her best not to—but she was very worried and scared about this time travel thing. "Hai…well not really hidden. Just my identity. I don't want anyone to know about me— being from the future—until I can find the portal back home."_

_"How about I ask you to share this knowledge with another person? Just one…"_

_"W-who?" The girl hesitated for a moment, wondering if she knew that certain 'someone' in her time._

_"My trusted student. In your temporary stay in our time…I will give him the mission of taking care of you and assist you with everything you need. You see, I need someone who can keep an eye on you, Hyuga-san…while I try to find an answer concerning this unexpected time shift."_

_"C-can I know the name of your student…Yondaime-sama? I may know him in my time."_

_"His name is Hatake Kakashi." Minato said, electric blue eyes still glued to the girl. "And if you knew him. I would be very glad. That only means that he is alive and well in the future."_

_Kakashi is one troubled young man. After Rin's death and Obito's disappearance, he was never the same again. He buried himself in Anbu work and never even tried to socialize with his friends anymore. Minato was worried that by the pace his remaining student was going… He wouldn't last long._

_Kakashi was growing suicidal._

_"I do Yondaime. I do know him." Of course she knew him. Who would not know of the great Hatake Kakashi? He was the famous copy ninja. A high ranked jounin and one of her instructors back in her real time._

_"And he is… uhm… Alright? Not a criminal or something?"_

_"H-hai…Kakashi-sensei is nice and—" Hinata bit her tongue. She kept on forgetting that this was not the present day Konoha. It's the past. She's from the future. She should not be spilling facts from her time if she doesn't want any trouble. Wincing inwardly, she glances at the handsome young Kage and was surprised to see that he was grinning._

_Very much like Naruto-kun's grin…minus the whiskers._

_"Sensei huh?" The Namikaze took a deep breath. "Yukata…I'm glad." So Kakashi changed in the future after all…That's good. He won't be worrying about him too much then…"So Hyuga-san…" Minato continued. "Are you excited to meet the younger version of your sensei? Though I'm afraid that he would be somewhat different from the man that I guessed you would expect." (f)_

-o-

Hinata giggled, covering her mouth as she watch Kiba and Naruto wrestle playfully with each other on the ground. Her team decided to train today and by good coincidence, Naruto-kun's team—also known as Team Kakashi—was training on the same ground too.

Of course, Kiba and Naruto goofed around the moment they saw each other. Making it impossible to train without being disturbed by them.

"Idiots…" Uchiha Sasuke muttered with a shake of his head. Seating himself beside his other teammate, Haruno Sakura—who looked like she just won the lottery at his sudden nearness— he leaned back on the grass while pretending not to see and hear Naruto's antics. It was better to train on his own than to train with these idiots.

"Shino-kun…I forgot something." Hinata's hands shot to her pockets. "I left my kunai pouch back at the Hyuga compound. I can't practice without them…I have to do kunai throwing today."

"I'll get it for you." Shino offered.

"N-No." The Hyuga heiress jumped to her feet. "I can get it. I'll just run fast…I'll be back soon." Waving a hand to the rest of team seven and eight, she turned her back on them and ran, weaving into the forest trail that would lead her back home. Earlier, she was suddenly dragged by Kiba to the training ground that she did not even have time to prepare.

Smiling a bit as she ran, Hinata muttered a silent prayer of thanks. The village was very peaceful this time. The alliance with the other Shinobi villages are just getting stronger, Akatsuki was no longer a threat, Sasuke returned to the village and the Kyubi inside Naruto was—"

"Oh!"

"Gotcha." Grabbing the girl on the waist, Hatake Kakashi steadied her as she was about to stumble back. He was reading his orange pocket book on his way to the training field when someone ran into him head on. Good thing he has fast reflexes—as expected from the copy ninja of course.

"K-Kakashi-sensei…" Hinata muttered when she recognized the face. "G-gomenasai! I did not mean to—"She lowered her head, embarrassed. She was so engrossed with her thoughts that she wasn't able to detect his presence. The only consolation she has with her mistake was that it was Hatake Kakashi.

He always masked his chakra, making it hard to detect him.

The jounin stared at her for a few seconds before his uncovered eye wrinkled. "It's alright…Hinata-chan. Why are you running anyway? And quite distracted as I can see."

"Gomen…" The girl smiled shyly, making some unknown light passed on the older man's eye. "I'm just…not paying attention Kakashi-sensei. I was running to get back my kunai pouch… We decided to train see…"

"Ah…training."

"Hai."

"Don't let me keep you from getting it then." He said, waving a gloved hand in her direction. He didn't want to let her leave so soon… But he was suddenly very disturbed. Old feelings started to rise and reminded him of a past that he preferred to keep buried under the farthest parts of his memory.

Unfortunately, just by looking at her gentle face right now, he can't help but remember the most unexplainable thing that happened to him seventeen years ago…

Meeting her in a time that she was not supposed to be in.

"I…should get going then." Hinata lowered her head for a polite vow. Kakashi was always nice to her… Even though it was rare to see him for he was always on a mission or training with his team seven. She can't help herself but to like him too.

"Good bye Kakashi-sensei."

"Good bye Hinata-chan…Uhm…be careful."

-o-o-o_-_

_Reviews! I need reviews!_

_I'm still thinking if I'm going to make this fic a long story…so it's up to you guys to convince me. : )_

_-crazygurl12_


	3. Chapter 3

_English is not my first language, so grammar errors are surely present._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

_*mirai-means future_  
>-o-o-o-<br>**  
>Kakashi Hatake: (Past) 15 years old.<strong>

**(Present) 31 going to 32 years old**

**Hinata Hyuga: (Past) 16 years old**

**(Present) 17 years old…going to 18.**

Chapter Three

(f) _The Yondaime was right._

_The moment that Hinata laid her eyes on Hatake Kakashi's younger self, she knew that Minato Namikaze was spot on when he said that he was not the person that she would expect him to be._

_Kakashi of the past was different…and it made her wonder what happened to him that __caused__h__im to__change a lot in the future._

_Changed a lot…_

_Kakashi was still wearing his mask—and she was expecting him to—otherwise, his face won't be considered as one of the greatest mysteries of the Leaf village. He actually looks the same with his white hair and droopy eyes— only that he was younger looking and shorter. If she stood next to him, he was taller than her __by__only a few inches._

_He was also silent in an unhealthy way. His very presence reminds her of Sasuke when the Uchiha was still a rogue and on a revenge driven quest. He ha__d__an aura of a suicidal person and the humor of a dead fish._

_And the greatest change of all—the Icha-Icha paradise book was missing._

_Hinata was downright scared when she saw him for the first time. It was like he could kill her any minute with his one-eye__d__glare._

_"Kakashi is going to take care of you for the meantime…" Minato had told her with a genuine smile on his kind face. She almost pleaded for another but pulled the reins on herself. Mentally, she prayed that Gai's younger self could take Kakashi's position right now._

_She would honestly prefer to be submitted into a daily regimen of youth rejuvenating exercises than to be subjected to a teenager that look__ed__like he could melt her with just one glare. Not to mention that he was just using one eye._

_Hinata sighed._

_"Mirai." A voice spoke and she jumped back, realizing that she has drifted too far with her thoughts. Currently, she was sitting on a chair on a one room apartment. Looking around, her breath stuck in her throat as she saw the intense one eye glare again._

_"Mirai…from the future." Young Kakashi was leaning on the wall, eyes on the girl that his Minato-sensei put in his charge. He was told that she was from the future because of a forbidden jutsu…and would be on his watch until the Hokage can create a counter jutsu that would bring her back to her real time._

_Minato thought it was supernatural._

_He thought it was nonsense._

_"H-hai…I'm from the future."_

_"What's your name?"_

_"My name is Hinata…Kakashi-sens—"The girl bit her lip before the words came out. "I mean…Hinata. My name is Hinata."_

_Kakashi raised his eyebrows. "__Were__you about to say sensei?"_

_Hinata shook her head exuberantly. "N-no!" Clenching her hands together, she peered at him __from__beneath her long bangs. "I…I always stutter. So I sometimes speak words that are…n-nonsense."_

_She was a little disconcerted around him and the idea of staying inside this room with him was unsettling. She __had __never stayed inside a room with a man before. This may be Kakashi—and she would entrust him with her life without a doubt if she was still back in her time. But right now—she realized that her kind and lazy Kakashi-sensei was a different persona entirely back when he was still a teenager._

_Unconsciously, Hinata's eyes landed on the Anbu tattoo on his shoulder. "Ano…" She mustered her courage to speak. Even though she c__ouldn'__t meet his eye like she wanted to. "Am I staying here?"_

_"What do you think?"_

_She flinched at the harshness of his voice. Swallowing her fear, she tried again. "Ano…I…"_

_"Yondaime said that I have to stay with you always. Prevent anyone from knowing that you are from a different time. Therefore you have to stay with me." Kakashi said without any kind of emotion. He cunningly made it sound like pure business. "For the meantime, you have to pretend that you are my blind cousin. You have the Byakugan…anyone from your clan would be suspicious if they see a white eyed girl hanging around with me…that's why you have to cover your eyes and mask your chakra always."_

_"H-Hai."_

_"And one more thing…"_

_"Y-yes?"_

_"Try not to be a burden to me."_ (f)

Hatake Kakashi made his way to the village gate with his right hand deep inside his pocket while the left was holding a copy of Icha-Icha harem. He was going on a mission with Sakura and he knew that his former student—now fellow jounin—would be very, very pissed because he was an hour and a half late.

Well…he was sure that after years of being their teacher and team captain—he was certain that the pink haired medic knew well enough that he was always late.

Sakura knew better than to—

"Ohayo…Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi suddenly stopped when he heard the familiar and gentle voice that always made his heartbeat go a little faster. Lowering his book a little, he raised an eyebrow when he noticed that he was staring not at a pink haired kunoichi, but a blue haired one.

The book dropped a little tad lower. "Hinata-chan?" It did not escape him that she was wearing traveling clothes—just like him.

It also did not escape him that she was carrying a pack behind her—just like him.

And of course...the fact that she was on the same gate—just like him.

Damnit Tsunade-Hag-sama.

"I'll be…taking Sakura-chan's place Kakashi-sensei." Hinata explained a little hesitantly at the sight of the older man's expression. Well…the expression that she can see on his half covered face. "Sakura-chan suddenly got the fever last night. Tsunade-sama assigned me in her stead."

"And she did not even tell me." Kakashi muttered, scratching his head.

Damnit Tsunade-Hag-sama…again.

"Gomenasai…" The Hyuga suddenly lowered her head. "I know I am not as good as Sakura-chan. And I understand it of you preferred her for missions like this…I am—"

"No. No…" The copy ninja shook his head. "That's not it Hinata-chan. I'm fine with you. It's just that I am a little bit surprised." Kakashi knew he was lying. He was never fine with this. The mission was weeklong…and the traveling time alone would be days. Faking a smile, he patted her on the head. "You are already briefed with our mission then?" He asked her.

"Tsunade-sama did."

"Good. Shall we get going then?"

The girl nodded, smiling at the fact that Kakashi was not at all disappointed that she was going to be his partner for the mission. It was her first time to be with the famous copy ninja in a two man squad job. She had to admit that she was excited.

"How long have you been waiting?" Kakashi asked, eyes on the road. The Icha-Icha book on his hand was nowhere to be seen for he had returned it deep into his vest pocket. He figured that he couldn't concentrate anyway…

"Three hours…"

He has the urge to slap his forehead but decided that such action might brand him as weird on Hinata's head. Instead, he gave her an embarrassed chuckle. "That was stupid of me…I'm sorry." Well, that was more than stupid if he might say so. She has been waiting for three hours…If it was Sakura, he was sure that he would still be hearing her angry rants and yells until they left Konoha's borders.

But he did not hear anything like that from the Hyuga.

"It's okay Kakashi-sensei…" Hinata smiled, her eyes wrinkling at the sides. "I was a little early to be honest."

"Hn?"

"I'm…I'm…" She lowered her head again. "I'm excited for the mission." There was a faint pink color on her cheeks and Kakashi diverted his eyes away from her. "It's my first A-class…"

Looking above them, he noted nonchalantly. "Nice weather…good for traveling." Mentally, he gave himself a pat on the back. Nice diversion.

"Hai…" The girl raised her head and followed his lead. She too looked at the clear sky. "A good sign for a mission…right sensei?"

"Right." Kakashi was assuring himself more than he assured her. "A good sign…"

A few more light conversations and silence began to develop between them. By the time that both of them have stopped talking, Kakashi has already whipped his favorite book out again and began reading where he left off. Hinata on the other hand was focused on the road. She was activating her Byakugan now and then just to be sure that no rogue nins or robbers were waiting for them on the way. There were also a few times that she would stole a glimpse at the older jounin and wondered how he managed to read while walking on the same time.

Usually, Hinata would feel awkward when working with the male population except with Kiba or Shino…and her Neji-Niisan. She didn't know why but she was really shy when it comes to boys. Weirdly, she was quite comfortable with Kakashi's presence even if it was the first time that she was going to work with him.

Maybe it was because she knew him for as long as she could remember. Kakashi had been a jounin instructor in her academy days—quite the terrifying teacher she might add—for he was notorious for failing students back then. Only Naruto-kun's group managed to pass the copy ninja's high standards.

Another reason might be because he was always nice to her. She remembered years back when they were still in the academy, he was always there when she gets bullied or gets into Neji's wrath. She loved her Nii-san…but he was very different when they were still kids and he usually liked to inflict pain on her. Mentally and physically.

Kakashi would always be there. He would suddenly come out of nowhere and come to her rescue. He was even there during the Chunin exams to stop Neji from killing her. Of course he was present. He was a jounin instructor…but still. He was there to stop Neji. The gallant interference began to stop though…when she turned fourteen. Then everything seemed like nothing.

Yeah…maybe that's one of the reasons. She was just comfortable to be with her childhood knight.

"Hey." Kakashi's voice broke into her thoughts. She turned her head to his direction and looked at him expectantly. The older jounin was looking at her under his nose with a curious look. He was taller than her by a lot of inches so her head just reached his shoulders. She had to raise her head up to look at him.

"Sensei?" She tilted her chin up a bit.

"First things first. Stop with the sensei…It makes me feel so old."

-o-o-o-  
><em><br>-crazygurl12_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

-o-o-o-

**Kakashi Hatake: (Past) 15 years old.**

**(Present) 31 years old going to 32.**

**Hinata Hyuga: (Past) 16 years old**

**(Present) 17 years old…going to 18.  
><strong>  
>Chapter Four<p>

It was already past noon when the two Konohans decided to stop. The sun was high above their heads and it was getting hot. He can also see that Hinata was sweating a lot. The girl was panting softly, wiping at her brow every few minutes. Kakashi was not at all tired; it would take a great deal of physical strain and time to make him that tired. But he figured that the girl could use some rest.

"Let's stop for a while. I'm hungry." He muttered, looking around as he checked the area that they were in. Trees were everywhere, creating good cover if they chose to stop right now. He was not really hungry—he could go on without food for days—but it was a good excuse. Mentally, he counted how many lies he has managed to babble in just one day.

The Hyuga looked thankful for the short stop. Looking at the older man, she realized that he was looking just the same as when they left the village gates. He was not even sweating like she was. No short breaths and no tired look. He was surprisingly…fresh.

The very thought made Hinata picture herself mentally. Tired face, messy blue hair, and wet clothes. The very image inside her head made her grimace. It just showed that she couldn't keep up with the copy ninja's stamina. He was not even breaking a sweat and here she was, looking like she was going to get dehydrated any minute. "I…I've got food sensei."

Kakashi clicked his tongue.

Hinata's eyes widened and she clasped her hands over her mouth. "Oh! Gomenasai… I mean… Kakashi-san." He told her a few hours ago that she needed to stop with the sensei. She was not sure if Kakashi was really that conscious about his age. He looked like the guy that didn't really care, although she had a sneaking suspicion that he was just doing it for the sake of getting off the awkwardness between them since it was their first mission together.

And a mission that was not really intended for her in the first place.

"That's better." Kakashi seated himself on the grass, crossing his legs as he began to rummage through his pack. After digging like a miner, he muttered a muffled "Aha" when he fished out a pouch of food pills and a cup of ramen—the instant-just-add-water kind. He then cheerfully ripped the foil cover of the ramen cup and looked at the contents expectantly.

Then his happy face dropped. Even behind the cover of the mask, Hinata could see the distress on the older man's face. She knew what his problem was and she giggled softly as she opened her pack and pulled out a bento box wrapped in a white cloth. With pride, Hinata knew that she was good in cooking and her teammates were always dying to get their hands on her food. Naruto even said that she was a good cook when he tasted her cooking once. "Rivals Ichirakus" were his exact words.

Maybe it was time to let Kakashi taste it.

"I have food Kakashi-san." Hinata removed the cloth and opened the bento. "I would be very happy to share." Peering at him, she saw that he placed the cup of ramen on the ground beside him. His one eye scrutinized the food on the bento, especially one rice ball in particular that weirdly looks like him. "You can't eat that without hot water." Hinata pointed at the ramen cup. She was sure that was Kakashi's dilemma. He forgot to bring hot water for his ramen. Now that she thought about it, it was also like traveling with Kiba-kun. The Inouzuka was hopeless when it comes to packing things for the mission…and always ends up relying on her.

Maybe Kakashi-sensei was like that too.

"Is that supposed to be…" His one gloved hand pointed at himself. The rice ball has a mask, craftily made by delicious dried black bean paste. It also had a forehead protector with a Konohan insignia on it.

The girl lowered her head to avoid looking at the man's eyes. "I made that rice ball after you Kakashi-san." She felt weird saying that. Really. "I got really excited when the mission was given to me… And when lady Tsunade told me that you're going to be my… partner. So I figured that I could make one for you. I always make rice ball for my team… and Naruto-kun."

Okay…maybe that will brand her in the weird department in Kakashi's book.

"That's… nice." The guy muttered.

Pulling out a pair of chopsticks, she divided the food evenly into two and gave him the other half, all the while staring on the ground. She was embarrassed. Maybe it was a very…bold move. Though Hinata could not fathom what was bold about making a rice ball that looked like her jounin sensei…

All she wanted to do was to break the ice, really…

Kakashi noticed the girl's face and he mentally head slammed himself on the ground. He was not supposed to sound like a jerk. He was just surprised at such an act. Especially that in their "past" encounters… and by past, he really means way, way past—Hinata has made him a rice ball that looks like him too.

Talking about old memories… Old memories that were only remembered by him.

Hinata picked her food as an awkward silence began to envelop them. To pass the time as they , she decided to debrief herself with the mission and take her head off the nonsensical things. Turning her back to the copy ninja, she allowed him the privacy of eating without looking at his face. Sakura told her once that team seven has tried almost everything to get the mask off—but it seemed like it was forever glued to his face. Taking that fact to heart, she edged a little further from him.

"Uhm…why are you…"

"So that you can eat without a mask on." Hinata answered, her back to him. "It's hard to eat with a mask on…right Kakashi-san? Y-you can take it off…I promise I won't look." Hence the back-turning.

"It's okay. You can eat facing me…it's your food after all."

Hinata turned herself like a wheel. "But you never removed your—"

"I always use an illusion jutsu when I eat. So have no worries." It was the first time that a mission partner was the first one to allow him the privacy to eat. The usual scenarios that he gets were people trying to do everything they can to trick him into showing his face. Smiling, he realized that it was a good change.

"Oh." There was no disappointment in her voice, just the words that usually accompanies a shrug and 'whatever' or 'I don't care'. Then the girl started eating again, trying to make it look like it was not a big deal.

Kakashi ended up staring.

Shaking his head, he gave a sigh and began to eat his food. The girl was a good cook. "Wow…tastes good Hinata-chan." He gave her one of those one-eyed smiles of his. "And I am not even joking. Though I am a little worried about eating my mini-me." With that, he pointed at a half eaten Kakashi-rice ball. "It feels so wrong...and he looks so cute."

"Really?" Hinata giggled a bit and lightened up. "You like it Kakashi-san?"

"I'd be a fool if didn't."

"I'm glad." Hinata beamed. "I got to admit that I am a little worried to hear your critique."

"It's delicious. So no need to worry."

After eating, the two continued on their way. This time, they used the tree tops as their path for the forest was getting thicker. It would be hard to detect other nins or fellow travelers. Kakashi suggested that Hinata stopped using her Byakugan to conserve her chakra in case they get on some trouble along the way. They were on an A-class mission after all…they can never be sure what kinds of danger they were going to get themselves into.

Hinata was surprisingly fast. What she lacks in strength, her speed and feather like feet make up for it. Kakashi didn't even have to wait for her, for she can keep up with his pace just as fine. He was also impressed at how she can manage to be so silent in her movements.

Maybe it was because she was lightweight, Kakashi reasoned. He was silent in his movements too… but he just can't help feeling impressed. After all, he witnessed how the girl worked very hard to be a decent Kunoichi. He knew how hard her father was to her when she failed on missions and couldn't keep up to his expectations.

Hyuga Hiashi was a jerk.

"There's a town a few kilometers away. We can spend the night in one of the inns there."

"I never knew there was a town outside Konoha's borders." Hinata tilted her head to the side to see the tall ninja that was tree hopping like her. He was holding his Icha-Icha book and for a moment, she stared at it, bewildered. How could he read and travel atop the trees at the same time? It really escaped her. Kakashi was truly a walking mystery.

A few seconds of staring and she looked away from the book and into his lazy, masked face. "That would be great Kakashi-san. I prefer to sleep in the comfort of an inn than to spend the night in the cold forest," she said with a grateful smile. Kakashi was not looking at her though; he was busy flipping another page of his book.

"It's a small town. Fit for travelers..."

"I see…" When she was on missions with team eight, they were usually assigned on places west of the leaf. And right now, she and Kakashi were traveling north. She has had no chance to use the northern route yet, so she reckoned that it was normal for her not to know that a town exists.

"It's a rugged place though… people of all sorts are in there. So we need to be careful. I suggest you remove the forehead protector off your neck."

"Hai."

It was already dark when they reach the said town. Just like Kakashi said, it was a rugged kind of town. It was not very clean… and people were looking suspiciously at each other like anyone could pounce on them any minute. As they walked the busy street, Hinata couldn't help but edge closer to the older jounin. If he knew about this town, she was sure that he knew his way around.

As they were walking along the busy street, Hinata noticed that Kakashi kept on lowering his gaze. The forehead protector on his forehead that was also used to cover his sharingan eye was nowhere to be found. He kept that eye closed though. Without the protector, his white, silvery hair covered half of his face and his eyes—which also served as a good cover.

They bought a few provisions for their night meal and proceeded to the nearest inn that they could find. The inn was full of people, and Hinata wondered if they were all criminals. She really was not the judging kind… but looking at the strangers inside the bar, they really looked like they could stab you in the back without any warning.

Kakashi was right. This was a rugged town.

"Hi there," Kakashi said, tapping the front desk where a burly looking man with a bad case of warts stood—picking his nose. Not a very hygienic way to greet your guests. "Do you have two rooms available?"

"Yes."

"Cheap ones?"

"Uhuh. You can never find a cheaper inn than this."

Kakashi smiled behind the mask. "Obviously."

The man looked at Hinata with a scrutinizing glare. "That's a pretty young 'un. If I were you, I would share a room with that lady. Makes everything cheaper too."

"Try to be cheap in an already cheap inn."

"Exactly."

Hinata blinked, but pretended not to hear. She busied herself checking the place. Looking around, she suddenly regretted it when one scruffy man caught her eye. He was tall…maybe just like Kakashi. He has his long black hair tied into a loose ponytail and was actually good looking—if he was not so… dirty.

He licked his lips and grinned, one hand pointing at her. With a dark expression on his face, he gestured for her to come. Hinata returned her gaze back to the innkeeper and edged towards Kakashi.

"Thank you." Kakashi cheerfully accepted the keys. It seemed like he and the innkeeper has reached some kind of understanding. He tossed one of the key to the girl and grabbed his pack. "Come Hinata-chan… Our rooms are just next to each other. I'll check on you later."

In Kakashi's vocabulary, a minute means an hour…and later just means, well—a long time. She was already clean and wearing her fresh clothes when she heard a knock. She was actually about to go to bed for a much needed sleep when she opened her droopy eyes again. The journey was not that hard—for she experienced worse ones before.

But that doesn't mean she was not tired.

With a yawn, Hinata unlocked the door and swung it open. "I thought you were already asleep Kakashi—"

"Hello there pretty lady." A cool, rough voice greeted her. Not the lazy drone of a ninja teacher she was expecting. "I came to greet you a good night."

Hinata frowned. This was the man in the bar earlier, the one with the long ponytailed hair. "I…I don't know you. Gomen." She attempted to close the door but the man stuck his foot on the entrance. He was reeking of alcohol and she wrinkled her nose at the bad smell. Sweat and sake was really not a very good combination. "Please…I need to rest."

"Wait…" The man lolled his head to the side and peered inside the room. He was much taller than her so it was very easy for him to do so. "Alone? Where's that silver haired man you're with?"

"Please…I really need to rest." Hinata tried pushing the door closed. She could use her gentle palm technique but it would surely end up bad. The man chuckled as he easily pushed the door, making her take a few steps back.

Hinata unconsciously bent her knees, a stance she usually do when about to start a rotation for her gentle fist. She could have sent him flying right there and then…if only she did not remember Tsunade's warning.

"Try not to get attention to yourself. This is an A-class mission. Remember that always Hyuga."

The stance waivered and Hinata straightened herself up. "I d-don't know you. So please get out of my room. I really don't want any trouble."

"You have beautiful eyes…really, really beautiful."

"Please. I don't want any trouble." She repeated. Her kunai pouch was under her pillow. In any case this guy attempts to do something bad, she could just rolled over to the bed and—

"I believe your right. She is beautiful. Unfortunately, you are trespassing. This is the lady's room and you have no business being here." A voice cut in Hinata's thoughts. Peering behind the tall, alcohol-driven man, she saw Kakashi standing near the door. He has his hands in his pockets and was staring at the man with one eye. He was wearing a black, long sleeved turtle neck shirt in replacement for his Jounin uniform and vest.

The man wheeled around. "Oh…you're father's here. What's up dad?"

"Right." Kakashi said in a false-cheery voice. "How are you doing son?"

Hinata didn't know if she found the scenario funny or scary. A second later, she decided to label it in the scary department. The man suddenly lunged towards Kakashi, thinking that he will caught the white haired man off guard. The copy ninja only sidestepped, avoiding the attack with ease. Then in a blink of an eye, the Hatake had the drunkard by the neck and he pushed him to the wall.

"Don't bother the lady again." Kakashi said coolly, pinning him by the neck. He was intentionally gripping the man's throat hard. The man groaned, his windpipes being crushed. "And just to clear things up. She is not my daughter. Do I look like a father of a seventeen year old girl?"

"K-Kakashi-san…" Hinata said, a little worried that someone might hear the commotion. "It's okay. Just let him go…"

"Are we clear on that?" Kakashi tightened his hold on the man's neck a little bit more. It was satisfying to hear his windpipes almost breaking under his hand. For a moment, Kakashi was tempted to test how long would it take to make the man go blue…he was turning green already. Time to see another shade.

"Crystal." The man managed to squeak before scurrying out of the room when Kakashi let him free. Stumbling near the door, he managed to throw them both a deadly look before disappearing from their sight.

"You okay?" Kakashi turned his attention to the girl. She was looking at him gratefully yet there was a hint of embarrassment. She nodded in response so he pocketed his hands again. Looking up the ceiling, he gave another bored sigh. Sometimes, it's also a risk to bring a pretty Kunoichi in missions, especially if they have…good curves.

Stealing a glance at the Hyuga, Kakashi nodded his head mentally. Yeah. Icha-Icha paradise material. "So…" He turned his back and gave the girl a parting, lazy wave. "Time to rest. Long day ahead of us Hinata-chan."

A hand caught his sleeve, making him pause. With a raised eyebrow, he slowly wheeled around and focused on the girl.

"Arigatou, Kakashi-san."

"You're welcome." He stared at the hand. It was still grabbing his sleeve.

"I…I could have stand up for myself but I…I don't want any trouble. I'm so sorry that you have to come to my rescue." Hinata chewed on her inside cheek. That was the truth. She could have fended for herself with ease, but letting Kakashi help was not a good trait for a Kunoichi. She didn't want to make this Jounin think that she was incompetent. That she can't even take care of a drunkard. "Gomenasai…"

Kakashi's one eye wrinkled. Raising a hand, he patted her on the head. "It's okay Hinata-chan. I was passing by when I saw that buffoon." Another lie. He was guarding her door. This town is full of bandits and rogues and he was not taking any chances…especially when his companion was one pretty little Hyuga. "Better get some sleep."

The hand dropped from his sleeve. "I'm glad to be in this mission with you Kakashi-san." She smiled again.

-o-

(f) _Hinata felt the Anbu's hand took her own. Kakashi was pulling her with him at__a fast pace. She knew that he was doing it so that she could keep up with him. With all her eye covering, it was not really an easy task. Besides, she couldn'tt use her Byakugan nonstop. It would only drain her chakra._

_"K-Kakashi-kun." Hinata managed, running alongside him. She knew it was weird to see a blind girl running so fast but she has no intention of letting him know. Young Kakashi was like Sasuke…you really can't reason with him. "Why are we running?"_

_"Just run." Was the hiss._

_And ran she did._

_Without warning, the young Anbu pushed her under a thick bush. Then he himself dove inside. It was hard but they managed to hide themselves inside it. Oddly, Hinata can't help herself but blush. The young Hatake was so close and their shoulders were pressed together, She can smell him…she can hear him breathe…_

_It was weird._

_"Why are we—" Hinata was about to ask again but a gloved hand covered her mouth. Tired of all the suspense, Hinata activated her Byakugan and looked around. Kakashi was breathing hard; it was the first time that she actually saw him panic a little. He was usually stoic and grim…and scary._

_Then he saw the reason of his distress and Hinata can't help but laugh._

_Kakashi was hiding from Maito Gai's younger self._

_"Stop snickering!" Kakashi hissed again, glaring at her. This mirai…this girl from the future has been the cause of all his headaches lately. She has been staying with him for almost a month now and sometimes, he can't help but to question Minato-sensei's plans concerning this matter._

_Was the Yondaime really trying to find a counter jutsu to send this girl back to her time or was he just punishing him?_

_"Gomenasai." He heard the girl whisper in her all too gentle voice._

_"Let's get out of here." Kakashi said through clench teeth. He could feel Gai's chakra and he didn't want to get caught in his stupid rivalry games. He was just too tired for that. Standing up, he pulled the girl with him rather harshly. Hurt her or give her pain. He doesn't care._

_Hinata's ankle caught in a vine and she winced when the Anbu pulled her up brusquely. "W-wait…Kakashi-kun!" With dread, she realized that the vine around her foot has thorns and it began to stab her skin. The Anbu won't listen though, so instead of telling him to stop with words, she pushed his hand away._

_Then she slowly untied the vine with a painful wince._

_Kakashi looked down and saw the blood on her ankle. He has no idea that she was caught in a vine…a vine with thorns. Oddly, he looked away. Was he feeling guilty?_

_"Ow…" The girl said softly, rubbing the torn skin. Kakashi was really different. Her Kakashi-sensei was kind and considerate. He may be notorious for being late but he was not this harsh. He may be one of the deadliest Shinobi alive but he was not—"Oh!" Hinata gasped when she was hoisted up without warning._

_And found herself being carried by Kakashi._

_"You're slow." He said, not looking at her. "I told you not to be a burden to me."_

_"Gomen—"_

_"Put your hands around my neck. I'm going up the tree tops."_ (f)

-o-o-o-

_-Crazygurl12_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Five

**An Excerpt from the Book of Forbidden Jutsu by Tobirama Senju: Konohagakure's Second Hokage.**

**Top three rules in time travelling jutsu:**

**Just be an observer. Never try to change anything in the past for you might end up not being born or you can destroy the lives of others in the process.**

**Death is irreversible. Never try to undo deaths in the past. It's the biggest ripple that could create chaos.**

**Never try this jutsu if not needed. Time is not something to be played or tampered with.**

-End of excerpt-

(f) _Hinata backed away when she saw the angry Anbu towering over her. They were of the same height but she was feeling so small right now…terribly small. She __could__ see that behind the mask, one eye was blazing red like burning coal. The picture frame was snatched away from her hands and she let out an involuntary gasp._

_"Don't you ever touch this again." Kakashi growled._

_"Gomenasai!" Hinata's face turned pale like paper. She was just silently looking at the picture that she found under the bed when Kakashi appeared behind her. His sudden appearance surprised her, the reason why the frame slipped and fell on the floor._

_Glass shattered all around as the crystal broke._

_Biting her lip, Hinata __had__ the urge to cry out her Neji-Niisan's name…or Shino…or Kiba-kun. She wanted to cry out for Naruto…anyone…anyone to save her from the scary Anbu in front of her. He was scary…and she never expected that her Kakashi-sensei was like this when he was young._

_Where was the kind face?_

_Where was the lazy aura?_

_"I did not mean to break it. I found it under the bed and—It's just a picture…the frame can be replaced—"_

_"Just a picture? You can never replace it!" Kakashi took a step towards her, making her took one step back as he did. Suddenly, she was pushed to the wall. Two arms trapping her __in__ place."That frame was from Ri—" Kakashi stopped before he could finish. No…he must not say her name out loud._

_"It…It's just a picture," Hinata managed to say. This was too much! No person should be this angry by just a simple matter. She was not even doing anything with it. Just looking at it and marvelling how happy the four of them looked… Kakashi, Minato, a pretty girl with blue markings on her face, and a boy that looks like an Uchiha…with his black hair and cheeky grin._

_"It's more than a picture…"_

_"Gomenasai."_

_"I don't care if you came from the future. You are just a burden to me…a piece of baggage that I have to carry around. Why don't you go back to your time and __stop__ messing around here?" It was almost a hiss. Hinata felt the stinging sensation on her eyes and lowered her head._

_She started to cry._

_A burden? That's not something new. It was actually old news. The insult should have no effect for she was already immune to such words—being reminded by her father every day. She was also not that oblivious enough to know that she's the weakest in her batch—but hearing it from another person in a different time made it a lot more painful._

_What's worse…hearing it directly from Hatake Kakashi._

_"I know…" She said softly, lowering her eyes as tears began to fall. "I know…Gomenasai. I am worthless…I know."_

_For a second, Kakashi blinked and he stared at the girl's crying face._

_"Gomen…" Hinata continued to mutter, sobbing softly._

_Kakashi sighed and took a deep breath. Maybe he was overreacting a little but the frame was a gift from Rin. It was something that he promised to keep and now it was nothing but broken glass. "You sho—"Hinata pushed him away, not even bothering to make him finish. "Hey!"_

_Without looking back, she ran and leaped out of the window into the dark night outside. He could have called after her, but he was a bit stunned._ (f)

Kakashi was already at the counter settling their bills when Hinata saw him the next morning. The forehead protector was still missing so his messy, spiky white hair was his temporary eye cover. The jounin's hair was still glistening with water and when the Hyuga walked towards him, she can smell his fresh, after bath scent.

It was nice and she couldn't help but to inhale again—unconsciously.

"Ohayo…" Hinata looked around the receiving area-slash-bar as she adjusted her packs behind her. There were cleaning ladies around, all pretending to clean while their eyes were glued to the tall, lean, ninja beside her. Some of them were giggling, throwing Kakashi those girly looks that Hinata can usually see in Ino every time she saw Sasuke or Sai. She cannot blame them though, Hatake Kakashi—even with half of his face covered—still had his manly physique. The copy ninja was tall and his stance perfect. His shoulders looks so strong that it made you want to touch it and test it yourself if it was—

Hinata blinked, surprised at the thought. Was she just thinking what she thought she was thinking?

"Ready to leave?"

"Hai." She nodded absent mindedly, still looking around the place and half expecting to see the man from last night to come barreling down on them. She was almost sure that those deadly glares that she received last night promised a comeback. Edging towards Kakashi—which made her frown at herself—she listened as the innkeeper began to drone out their expenses.

The innkeeper was true to his promise. Everything was cheap.

They made their way out of the town. When they were a few miles away, she saw the Kakashi returned the Hitai-ate back in place so she did the same. It was good to feel that the forehead protector was back on its usual place around her neck. It made her feel comfortable.

They ate their morning meal as they walked. Both were silent, knowing that there was really nothing to speak about since their mouths were full from nibbling the delicious rice cakes that they bought on their way out. The cakes were made of rice flour with sweet bean paste filling.

"Yum." Kakashi heard Hinata mutter as she ate her rice cake cheerfully. It made him looked down on his third, half-eaten cake. It was a nice change to be travelling with Hinata. It was a change to not have to fight for your food from loud, blonde Jinchuriki's that only thought about Ramen. Hinata was quiet and he never even heard her complain. Not even once. "Yum." The Hyuga muttered again.

"Here." Kakashi said, giving her his part. "I took a bite, but don't worry, I don't have venom… Well, not that I know of."

The girl looked horrified for a moment. "Kakashi-san…that's your food! You need to eat. I can't take that."

"I'm full."

"But…"

Kakashi responded by shoving the cake into the girl's half open mouth. Of course he did it gently, just getting her a little surprised so that she wouldn't be able to refuse. The girl's eyes widened and she blinked at him with puffy cheeks full of rice cake. "Now chew." He told her cheerfully.

Hinata obeyed.

"Good."

"That was supposed to be your part Kakashi-san." Hinata wiped the rice crumbs from her face. She was feeling like a little kid that was being forced to eat her veggies. Weirdly, it sent a blush to her cheeks. She just ate something that Hatake Kakashi has taken a bite from. It was a little…odd. She knew some girls back in the leaf would kill for the honor—literally. "You need to eat too."

"You like rice cake that much? I saw you smile while you were eating." Kakashi shoved his hand into his vest pocket and pulled out his Icha-Icha harem. Flipping a page, he started reading. Of course she likes rice cakes…he knew that fact even before she did. He knew it before she was even born…or to be exact—seventeen years ago.

"H-hai. I love rice cakes." Was the soft reply. "Arigatou Kakashi-san."

"No problem." He mumbled, focusing on the book.

Hinata knew that once Kakashi's nose was buried deep on his favorite perverted literature, there was no pulling him back. Naruto once said that it was Kakashi's weakness. Taking away Icha-Icha was like taking away his next breath. With a resigned smile, she focused her attention on the trail, knowing that she wouldn't be having any kind of conversation until Kakashi closed his hardbound possession.

Silently, she debriefed herself with the mission. Tsunade has been very specific about it, telling her that Konohagakure's medicinal field would be ensured for another year if they succeed on this one. That's why it should be Sakura in the first place—she was a top notch medic nin. Unfortunately, the Haruno was sick so she had to take her place.

But she was not complaining.

The mission was about getting a flower that held miraculous healing wonders. It was a vital ingredient for a lot of medicines and antidotes. _"This is a Kanake flower." Tsunade __had __shown__ her a picture of a small, vine like flower that __looked__ like an orchid. It __had__ a blue coloring and little red dots. It was beautiful. Tapping the picture lightly, the Hokage then gave it to her. "It would be easy to identify. Its blue—the same shade as your hair." Looking at her, Tsunade craftily added with a smirk. "It seems like you and Kakashi would a good pair on this mission…It seems like the medicinal flower itself represents both of you. You with the blue hair and those little red dots represent Kakashi's sharingan."_

Why the Hokage told her that, she had no idea.

In all accounts, the Hokage looked amused. _"The only problem would be…is the way to where it grows. The problems are more likely to occur on the road. You see, the flowers grow only on the land of Kali. It's a town just outside Kiri's boundaries where rouge nins usually roam. Also, getting the said flower would take a week. And don't even get me started with the competition from the other villages."_

_"Why Hokage-sama?"_ She has asked.

_"The flower is not only known for its healing purposes…it is also known as the flower of love—a good luck charm. That's why the townsfolk of Kali consider it a treasure and requires anyone who wants the flower for a week-long stay for payment…they say it's a tribute for the goddess. The flower was named after that mythological woman. Personally, I don't believe in any of that shit but let them have their fun…it's their land."_

_"Oh."_

_"Maybe they were just improving tourism." Tsunade shrugged her shoulders and diverted her eyes from the Hyuga. "You tell me when you get back." Tossing her a scroll, the busty sannin, smiled a bit. "Last year, Sakura told me that she has to do housework for the feudal lord of Kali for a week…Maybe it depends on what they want you to do. I know you can do it Hyuga."_

Wearily, Hinata wondered what kind of "tribute" the people of Kali would require them to do. The only consolation she had was that the famous copy ninja was with her. So she really has nothing to worry about, right? Assuring herself, she stole a glance at the man lazily walking next to her…though she wasn't so sure if Kakashi was any good in cleaning stuff if that's what the lord of Kali wanted them to do.

Hinata took a deep breath.

Then she heard a swish of something sharp and deadly.

"Kakashi-san!" She gasped, about to push him away from a flying shuriken. But if she was alert, so was Kakashi—and he was in fact, much faster than her. Even before she could say the words out loud, he was already taking a step back, avoiding the sharp weapon just in time. The shuriken landed on a tree branch with a dull thud, quivering for a moment while glinting under the sun's light.

"Kaka—"

"Watch out Hinata." The copy ninja grabbed her purple jacket. Pulling her to him, he leaped away from the spot and avoided another batch of shuriken stars. There was no chakra signature so it had caught her off guard.

Hinata activated her Byakugan, veins popping around her eyes as her chakra began to build around her temples and hands. Looking around the area, she could see that there were a total of fifteen men surrounding them. Based on their chakra levels, she knew that they were not ninjas. That's why she was not able to sense them…

Their chakra levels were too low.

So what's this? A gang of men that robs weary travellers? "Fifteen…" She told Kakashi, not even aware that her arms were still around his neck and that his right hand was still placed on the hollow of her back. "From all sides."

"Probably thieves." Kakashi scratched his head.

Hinata blinked then straightened herself. Frowning, she studied the attackers individually, scrutinizing their appearance in order to know if they were really thieves. Beside her, she could feel the annoyance emitting from the older jounin—probably annoyed that his reading session was cut short.

Then Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke.

Shadow clone? Hinata blinked in surprise just as she heard a lot of surprised yells around her—and then it was followed by screams. A few seconds later, the real Hatake Kakashi landed next to her. "Yeah…probably thieves." He clarified, scratching his head after she gave him a disbelieving look. Hinata knew that it was not a really nice thing to do, but she couldn't help herself. Sometimes, a girl just can't stop rolling her eyes. "Sorry…I was aware of them before you did so I decided to check."

"H-how long have you…" She deactivated her Byakugan, feeling a little left out and so much inferior from him. Not to mention that she felt a little silly for activating her Byakugan for nothing. Good heavens…she was not even aware that the man who was reading the book beside her was a clone. Was it a clone that fed her the rice cake? She can't help but feel a little down at the thought.

"Just after I gave you my rice cake." Kakashi answered, returning the kunai on his pouch. When Hinata was not looking, he used the distraction to slip out and sneaked around the people who were trying to sneak up on them. He needed her to act natural so he decided not to give any sort of warning…but still, he thought she had noticed.

"Oh…" she can't hide the disappointment in her voice. "D-did you kill them?"

"No. I tied them around a large tree…but they are unconscious. Used my sharingan here." He pointed at his red eye.

"Th-that's good."

Kakashi signed. Maybe leaving the girl out and acting on his own was not a really good idea. Honestly, he was expecting that she knew. It was a usual strategy around team seven and he was used to work with his former three students without the use of words.

Then Kakashi realized that Hinata was not a part of team seven.

Mentally face palming himself, he faked a smile—droopy eyes wrinkling at the sides. "Sorry Hinata-chan. I should have warned or at least given you—"

"It's okay Kakashi-san." The girl lowered her head; her voice still sounded disappointed. "It's my fault I can't k-keep up. Gomenasai. I should have noticed…but I did not. I'm a sorry excuse for a Kunoichi."

And now Kakashi felt bad. "You're not."

"I am." Hinata sighed. "I will try my best to be more alert from now on. Gomen." Adjusting the pack behind her, Hinata started on her pace again. If Sakura was in her stead, she would have done something cool like helping round up the thieves. Sakura would have known that her sensei was a clone and that he was already aware of the thieves even before she did.

Sadly, she was not Sakura.

"Hey now…" A large hand found its way on Hinata's head, stopping her on her tracks as it wheeled her around to face him again. "You are a good kunoichi." He looked down on her crestfallen face. "I'm the one who's at fault here Hinata-chan. No need to take it to yourself."

"Demo…"

Kakashi squeezed her cheeks. "Smile. A sad face does not suit you." Inside his head, he was actually wondering why he was doing this. The last thing that he needed was making the Hyuga feel awkward for the rest of the mission. But seeing how hard she was on herself, he figured that he could cut the girl some slack.

"Kak-shi-shan…" Hinata mumbled, not being able to speak properly—being squeezed by the cheeks can do that to a person. Looking up to the copy ninja with a silly look on her face, she squinted at him defiantly. Was he always like this to his students? A mental image of Sasuke being handled like a kid made her feel a little better. It really was funny.

"She's going to smile any second now…" Kakashi coaxed.

Hinata frowned. She was seventeen years old, another month and she's legally an adult. Sadly, the tall man holding her cheeks hostage acted like she was a twelve year old girl again.

"We can be like this all day long…" Kakashi said. "It's a pity…it's a good day to start travelling to our destination."

With another defeated sigh, she gave him a shy smile. She was smart enough to know that she can't win this battle.

"See? That's better." Kakashi's gloved hands let go of the pale cheeks and found their way inside his pockets again. He then looked at the glowing sun. "We better get going before the sun gets too hot." He was a little tempted to touch the soft, white skin of her face again but knew it would brand him as a pervert, so instead of dwelling on his not so teacherly thoughts, he lowered the forehead protector over his sharingan eye and proceeded on his way. The Hyuga followed behind him without a word, a faint reddish tint has appeared on her cheeks but he was too occupied with his own thoughts to notice.

As they walked silently, Hinata kept stealing glances at the tall man just an arms width away from her. Being with Kakashi was like being with ten different men. He was really…unpredictable. Just a day's travel with him and it was enough to let her know that fact. He can be scary—that neck gripping thing back at the inn— or kind, or…funny. He can make her feel like an adult or make her feel like a little girl.

And being with him made her feel something weird too.

It was an odd feeling…but it felt like she knew him before. Well, of course she knew him, she knew him for as long as she could remember. But what she was feeling now was different entirely. Hinata really could not explain it, but it was like a small part of her knew that she has talked to him before…that she has been close to this man before…

But at the same time, her mind was also dead sure that never in her seventeen years did it happen.

When Hinata stole another glance, she glanced just in time to see that the copy ninja was flexing his right arm—the one that was not inside his pocket. He was wearing black a black long sleeved shirt but she noticed something on his upper bicep. The cloth was sticky and moist…and there was a dark stain.

"Kakashi-san. Your arm!" She reached out and grabbed his flak jacket, making him stop abruptly. Kakashi looked at him curiously as she touched the stained area. It was blood. "You have a wound?" She did not notice it before, but it seemed like Kakashi hadn't noticed too.

"I have?" He asked, rather too innocently.

For a brief second, their eyes met.

She knew then that he was lying.

She saw that same flicker of denial in Kiba's eyes every time he was wounded and didn't want to be treated. They say it was kind of an ego issue with men. She found it rather foolish. "I….I have to treat this Kakashi-san. It might infect the wound if left unclean."

Kakashi looked uncertain. "Uhm…"

"Could you please put down your pack and roll your sleeve up?" Hinata asked, putting down her own pack while tugging at the man's sleeve to indicate her point. She could see that the copy ninja was a bit hesitant so she gave him an impatient look. "Kakashi-san. I'm going to heal it. I may not be as good as medics…but I got my fair share of healing knowledge from Sakura-chan and Ino-chan."

"I could always put a heated kunai on it. Kills germs just as effectively."

"Kakashi-san…"

"Or wash it in a lake later…the sun is up we need to get moving."

"We can be like this all day long…" Hinata used the exact words he said to her a while ago. "It's a pity…it's a good day to start travelling to our destination."

Kakashi stopped making excuses then stared at the blue haired girl who was also staring back at him using her white, pearl-like orbs. Raising an eyebrow, he scrutinized her under one eye. "I created a monster."

(f) _"You. Two. Are. Cute!" Kushina squeaked with delight as she wrapped the girl in her arms. Head tilting to look at Kakashi, she glared at him. She was really disappointed that the young Hatake __had__ left her out. "You did not tell me you __had__ a girlfriend Kakashi."_

_"She's not my girlfriend." The young Anbu said impassively, pocketing his hands and stared outside the window. If he knew that Kushina was here inside the Hokage's office at this time, he __would__ have dragged the girl back with him to his apartment and __waited__ until the Uzumaki left. "And she's blind."_

_Kushina was a loudmouth, and she __had__ this weird and annoying habit of matchmaking._

_"Oh…" Kushina let go of the girl in order to touch the bandage that __wrapped__ around her head. "Poor girl…but even with covered eyes, she's so pretty."_

_"A-Arigatou." Hinata squeaked, caught off guard since this was Naruto-kun's mother. She could feel a light chakra on Kushina's belly and she subtly lowered her head to look. It was a different chakra and she __could__ see another life growing inside the woman. Hinata smiled fondly at the small, visible bump._

_She knew who that little light chakra belongs to._

_He was her first crush after all._

_Hidden behind the bandages, she has activated her Byakugan so she __could__ see clearly while trying to pretend that she's blind. Silently, she __used__ her Kekkei Genkai to study the woman who was hailed as a hero and a great kunoichi in her time._

_Kushina Uzumaki was beautiful, and her chakra was the same as __Naruto's__. Vibrant orange with a splash of red. She __had__ long vibrant red hair that __flowed__ down to her elbows and a jolly expression on her face._

_When she __grinned__, Hinata __could__ see the resemblance she __held__ with her son._

_"Hmm…I can feel chakra emitting from her." Kushina observed, staring at the girl who was so…similar to Hinare Hyuga—the current matriarch of the Hyuga clan._

_She has Hinare's vibrant blue hair…and pale skin._

_"Are you sure she's not a Hyuga?"_

_Hinata listened wearily, deactivating her Byakugan just as Kakashi's hand found her own. He pulled the Hyuga away from Kushina, putting her behind him to keep her away from the redhead. "You are bothering her Kushina-san. She is not a Hyuga." Kushina __could__ feel chakra better than anyone, so he gave the Hyuga's hand a squeeze to warn her._

_A knuckle found its mark on the Anbu's head._

_"What did you say?" Kushina asked, her red hair almost glowing. Towering over Kakashi, she glared at him. Minato usually __wavered__ with this kind of look so she was confident that Kakashi would too. "I am not bothering her Kakashi. You are just so over protective. And now you tell me that she's not your girlfriend? Gai and Asuma has been telling everyone that you have a girl in your apartment…she's the girl right?"_

_"She is." Kakashi answered honestly, not even bothering to touch the small bump on his head. It was not the first time he got that from Kushina. It was the same fate that he and his sensei always __experienced__ when getting into the redhead's wrath. "But she is not my girlfriend. She is my cousin…and you are bothering her." Asuma and Gai? Well that's interesting. So they are the ones who has spreading those "Kakashi finally elopes" and "Kakashi has a girlfriend" rumors._

_Leave it to Asuma to babble about him when he himself likes to spend nights at Kurenai Yuhi's house._

_"I don't see any resemblance." Kushina observed flatly, mind planning his bloody revenge for his classmates._

_"Distant cousin."_

_"Not even a single similarity in your chakras…"_

_"Distant cousin twice removed." Kakashi stated calmly._

_Listening to the two bicker at each other, Hinata smiled. She never knew Kakashi was this close to Naruto-kun's mom. Even with the stoic façade and deadpan expression, she __could__ feel that Kakashi __cared__ for the redhead woman a lot. She __had__ stayed with young Kakashi for more than a week—which was enough to know that he __wouldn't__ bother to answer anything back if it was not __considered__ important._

_And in this case, even though Kushina was just teasing, Kakashi __answered__ back…even though he did it quite flatly._

_"Hi…" Minato entered the office with a few files on his hand. Some of them have labels that say long forgotten jutsus. He smiled when he spotted his wife. "Kushina…I though you're going to see the medics for a check-up today." Wise eyes glanced at the other two. "And what about you two?"_

_"Minato…" Kushina rushed to her husband, pulling him to stand next to her. "Our Kakashi has a girlfriend!"_

_"She's not." The young Hatake said coolly, looking away from the woman. "Rumors."_

_"She is." Kushina declared, like saying it out loud was making it official._

_Minato chuckled. "Kushina…I think it's better to let them decide that issue on their own."_

_A few minutes later, Hinata found herself alone inside the office with the Hokage. Kakashi was ordered to escort Kushina while she __bought__ some peaches._

_The woman said that it was her pregnancy cravings._

_Kakashi flatly stated Kushina has no cravings at all and that the woman eats anything she can lay her hands on—which of course garnered him another bump on the head._

_Sitting on a chair, Minato smiled apologetically. "Excuse my wife. She's just…enthusiastic about Kakashi…she cares for him a lot. Like her own son in a way."_

_Hinata removed the bandages and placed them on her lap. Observing Naruto's mom, she now knew where the young Uzumaki got his lively attitude. It was a personality that could make you drawn into a person without even knowing it. "She's beautiful Yondaime-sama…"_

_"She is beautiful." Minato agreed, putting a few of his files inside the drawers of his desk. "So…how's your stay with my student?"_

_"Uhm…fine…I guess."_

_"Gomenasai." Minato said apologetically. "Kakashi can be a little bit…cold sometimes…but he is one of those that I really, really trust. That boy has some issues…so please just understand him. You know him in the future right? And you said that he was not that…cold?_

_"Hai…he changed a lot." Hinata nodded slightly, remembering how she used to see the older Kakashi in her time, and how he used to spend a lot of time on Konoha's burial grounds. She even remembered the tombstone he always __visited__. There was that one time when she passed by him and asked who the grave __belonged__ to._

_Kakashi said that it the grave of a close friend, and when Hinata read the name that was engraved on the tombstone, it says Nohara Rin._

_She was expecting to see that Nohara Rin in this time but did not. So did Rin die before she was transferred here?_

_"Minato-sensei…who is Rin Nohara?" Hinata asked, unable to contain her curiosity. She saw the smile vanished from the Yondaime's face— to be replaced by a grim look. Minato__'s__ eyes turned blank for a moment, as if he was trying to remember something from the deepest parts of his mind. Hinata shifted her weight on her chair, wondering if she just crossed the line by asking._

_"She's Kakashi's old teammate and one of his closest friends. She died of…uhm…she died from a mission. She's a hero of Konoha…" Minato answered. "Why ask about Rin?"_

_"I always saw Kakashi-sens—I mean Kakashi-kun visiting her grave back in my time Yondaime-sama…I'm just…wondering." Kakashi actually __visited__ other graves…but Hinata doesn't want to mention any of that. Another pang of sadness hit her and she did her best not to show in on her face. "I…see."_

_Those other graves…that Kakashi usually __visited_ _were__ of Kushina and Minato after all._ (f)

Hinata wondered if she did the right thing by asking Kakashi to lift up his sleeve. It was supposed to make healing him much easier but when he obeyed, she was not so sure anymore. Maybe he was right to be so reluctant earlier…

Kakashi-sensei's bicep was hard and firm and she couldn't help but feel embarrassed to touch it with her bare hands. "I'm going to heal it…so it might sting." She cleared her throat. Thinking about it, it was the first time that she had seen Kakashi bare his arms. He was always wearing his long sleeved shirt back in Konoha.

"Carry on." He leaned on a tree trunk. Hinata insisted that they stopped for a few minutes for she couldn't do it properly if he was walking. Their height difference alone was making it hard. Around them, they could hear moans and whimpers from the band of thieves that Kakashi fought—which was one sided if Hinata had anything to say about it. It was also a sign that she needed to hurry up before they all wake up from his dojutsu.

Letting her chakra build into her fingers, Hinata concentrated on stitching the torn muscles and skin together. The gash on his shoulder was not deep, but it was long and ragged. "You just pulled it out am I right? The shuriken?" Hinata asked, brows furrowing as she saw the torn skin turn purplish. Fresh wounds were not supposed to look like that. "Y-you should not pull it out like it was just a splinter Kakashi-san…you just made your wound worse."

"Hn." The copy ninja has pulled out his book and began reading where he left off.

Letting her fingers ran over the now patched skin, she was satisfied to see that the bleeding had stopped and it looked like a week old wound already. Pulling out a white cloth from her pack, she wrapped it around Kakashi's arm as a makeshift bandage. "Gomenasai. That's the best that I can do."

"It's good. Thank you Hinata-chan." Kakashi said absent-mindedly, eyes focused on the book. He felt her rolled his sleeve back down to his wrist, gentle fingers touching his skin.

"I am still worried about the color so I'm going to check it after a few hours alright?"

"Sure…sure."

"Maybe it's some kind of—"

"Yes…yes…"

"Kakashi-san…you are not listening." Hinata sighed. The man was nodding his head but she knew that he was not stepping down on earth as long as that orange book was in his hands. Frowning a bit, she looked at him.

Kakashi chuckled softly, eye glued to the book.

Curiosity rising, Hinata strained her neck in order to see the written words. She knew it was porn…being written by Jaraiya-sama and all. But it should not be so bad right? There must be a good story line too; otherwise, the copy ninja won't be so hooked. Naruto said that the toad sannin was a genius in written literature so maybe aside from too descriptive x-rated scenes; there must be more than to it than it seems…

Hinata began to read.

_I kissed her…running my tongue inside her soft, pink mouth. I heard Tesda moan my name and it __was__ music to my ears. Grabbing her waist, I pulled her to me and carried her into my bedchamber…our lips never left each other's company. Asking for her permission, I took off her garments when she nodded her head in response. I felt like a conqueror…a lucky man finally about to taste the rewards of his efforts…_

_I touched her breasts…one hand on her womanhood, ready to test and conquer—she screamed my name and it was so beautiful for my ears._

_Then her hands trailed above my pants and grabbed my—_

Hinata's face heated just in time for Kakashi's head to swivel to her direction. At first, the jounin was a little surprised that she was so still and her so cheeks red. Looking at her wide eyes, Kakashi followed her gaze and it landed back on the Icha-Icha paradise book.

Hinata saw the jounin's eyebrow went up…

Way up.

"You—"Kakashi started, closing the book.

"I did not read anything!" Hinata squeaked, shifting her head to the side. It was the first time that she was able to read something like that and it gave her goose bumps. Promising herself never, ever to lay her eyes on that book again, she busied herself on packing things up, pretending that she didn't care at all.

Though she couldn't help but wonder what Tesda grabbed…

"O…kay…" Kakashi nodded his head and an amused glint passed on his visible eye.

-o-o-o-

_Here ends the chapter. Please review…(puppy eyes)_

_-crazygurl12_


	6. Chapter 6

_Grammar is not perfect…so expect errors._

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Six

(f) _Kakashi looked at the girl without any hint of emotion. They were alone on the part of the forest where he knew nobody dares to go because everything around it where thick vines and thorny bushes. Hinata was chewing her lip, a habit that she does when she was feeling weary. "The Yondaime already perfected the jutsu that would take you back to your time."_

"_T-that's good."_

"_You won't be stuck in here anymore." He added._

_Hinata lowered her gaze. She can't look at the half masked Anbu. He might see the sadness and pain in her eyes if she does. "T-That's good too…" She muttered. If it was possible, she thought that her heartbeat just stopped. She can't feel it…all she could feel was the throbbing, swelling pain that was making it hard to breathe. She has stayed for almost a year in this time…and oddly, it pains her to know that she was leaving._

_She grew to love the Namikaze couple…_

_She grew to love Hatake Kakashi…even though it was his younger self. The Kakashi in her time probably won't give her a second glance. He was older than her and he was her teacher…a senior that she needs to look up to. That thought alone was making it hard to bear._

_It was foolish…It was foolish of her to fall in love with Kakashi-sensei's younger self._

"_We better get back before…" Kakashi started, not looking too happy either."Before anyone see you without eye covering. Genma already suspects…"_

"_Y-Yeah…we better." She started to walk, even though her feet were heavy and numb. Beside her, Kakashi was silent, not letting her have any clue as to what he was thinking. Was it bad for her to wish that she could stay? How about the people of the present? Would she just abandon her comrades? She really misses them…Shino, Kiba, Naruto, Neji and her family…she missed them like crazy…_

_But her heart…_

_Hinata paused, and she looked down to stare at her arm where a gloved hand was holding it in a gentle grip. She looked at the owner and her breath stuck inside her throat. Kakashi was looking at her seriously with one eye. He said nothing but slowly pulled her to him._

"_K-Kakashi-kun?"_

_Silence._

"_K-kakashi?" She tried again, feeling his arms wrapped around her waist. Hinata almost forgot to breathe when he bent his neck down and his lips reached to touch her forehead. He was still wearing his mask, so she felt the smooth, thin cloth brushed her skin._

"_You will see me in the present." She heard him say. "You told me yourself."_

"_Yeah…" Hinata smiled sadly, leaning her forehead on Kakashi's own. "I will…but Minato-sama said I won't remember…he said that to me when he was still perfecting the jutsu…there's a big chance that I won't remember anything about the past."_

"_But I will."_

"_That doesn't make it any easier Kakashi…"_

"_I know…but there's nothing we can do about it." _(f)

Hinata stopped her stride and watched as Kakashi wiped the sweat from his brow. It was already late afternoon and they were under the covers of thick trees and shrubs. It was also cool, which makes it odd concerning that the older jounin was sweating.

"Kakashi-san…are you alright?" She could hear him wheezing. He stopped walking and gave him a reassuring smile which doesn't assured her at all. They have been walking for hours but she knew that Kakashi can endure that…but why was he looking like he can't?

"Yeah…I'm just…" Kakashi closed his eye.

Hinata ran to him just in time to catch him when his knees gave way under him. It was not really helpful though, for Kakashi was a tall man and was much bigger than her. Her knees sank the moment the copy ninja's weight landed on her and they both collapsed on the ground. The air was knocked out from her lungs when she felt the man's weight above her.

Hatake Kakashi was heavy.

"Kakashi-san…" Hinata groaned, pushing the heavy man on top of her gently. This was not good…now that she was close and touching him, she could feel that his temperature was hot and his sweat cold. He has a fever… "Kakashi-san. You have a fever."

"I have?" Kakashi murmured, one eye still closed. "That sounds…troublesome."

Hinata shook her head, thinking that he would get along well with a certain lazy Nara. Propping herself up, she let Kakashi lie on his back as she activated her Kekkei Genkai. Looking at his chakra flow, she can see something dark and violet—a contrast from his white, electric-like chakra—and it was building up near the wound on his shoulder, hindering his normal energy flow.

It was poison.

"Kakashi-san…I'm going to check your wound okay?" Why she was bothering to talk to an almost unconscious Hatake, she has no idea…all she wanted was to make him hold on to that thin thread of consciousness for she was certainly going to panic if he falls into a deep sleep.

Slowly, she rolled his sleeve up and removed the bandages she has put on his arm earlier. Hinata gasped when she saw the wound, it was oozing with purplish liquid and fresh blood. So that's why the wound's color was purplish…maybe there was poison on whatever that hit him.

"Looking good?" Kakashi asked weakly.

"Ah…"

"Just lie."

Hinata bit the inside of her cheek, trying to recall anything about poisons during her medical training with Ino-chan and Sakura.

"_Poisons vary…but are always group into two. The acid type and the internal type of poison. Acid types are those poisons that could burn skin or harm you even if you just touch it…internal types, you could always suck it out." Sakura whipped her shoulder length hair back. "That is if you don't have a knife at hand and the poison was already spread out. And in case you needed to know—do not swallow."_

"Kakashi-san…" Hinata muttered, taking a long, deep breath. "I…I am taking the poison out." Upon hearing no response, she closed her eyes, leaned her head forward and placed her mouth on the wound. She has the urge to gag and cough for the poison was bitter and the metallic taste of Kakashi's blood was not helping either. Holding her breath, she sucked then spit the contents inside her mouth on the grass.

She did it a few times and only stopped when she did not taste the bitterness but only Kakashi's blood. Wiping her mouth, Hinata propped herself up then glanced at the unconscious man. For a moment, she saw a young, masked Anbu lying on the grass instead of the jounin…

Hinata blinked…a few seconds later, she felt weak and her knees began to shake.

-o-

When Hinata opened her eyes, she was lying on the grass, a thick flak jacket on top of her and a small pack under her head. There was fire, and it was cackling just a meter away from her. Propping herself up, she groaned and rubbed her droopy eyes.

"You passed out." Kakashi appeared next to her, carrying a few logs of dry firewood.

"K-Kakashi-san…"

"Must have taken a few ounce of poison when you sucked it out of me. I walked up a few hours before you did." He kneeled beside the fire and tossed a few thin logs to keep it going. "Arigatou Hinata-chan. I owe you one." If he was with Naruto and the rest of his team seven, Kakashi wondered if they will try sucking the poison out of him, or removed his mask first and end one of Konoha's greatest mysteries. "Though I got to say the both of us unconscious at the same time was not a very safe thing to do."

"Yeah." Hinata smiled a bit. "

"Yeah."

"Ano…y-your shoulder…? You have a fever when I—"

"The fever's gone." Now it was Kakashi's turn to smile, though it was concealed behind the mask. "My shoulder's fine too. You sucked pretty well…"

"Eh?"

Kakashi's smile faltered. That came out a bit wrong…"I mean…where did you learned that?"

"From Sakura-chan…I attended one of her medic seminars…"

"Well that's good…" Dusting himself, he edged closer to the Hyuga girl and seated on the grass beside her. "Are you hungry? I am not a good cook so don't get your hopes up."

Hinata giggled. "I am sure I can survive it Kakashi-san." Running her fingers through her long locks, she told herself mentally that what she saw earlier—that young Anbu—was just the product of the poison…nothing else. She watched silently as the jounin gave her two pieces of bread and roasted meat. Examining the bread, she raised an eyebrow. "You tried to toast this…"

"Not a good cook…"

"And the meat too…"

"Yeah…if you call burning it on top of the fire roasting…" Kakashi nonchalantly removed his mask and took a bite of his own food. Beside him, Hinata muttered a silent scream. The bread dropped on the grass and her hands rose to cover her mouth.

She just saw Kakashi's face.

**-o-o-o-**

_Here ends the chapter. _

_Thank you for the awesome reviews guys! I love KakaHina too…_

_-crazygurl12_


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

-o-o-o-

Chapter Seven

**An excerpt from the Hokage's Journal/ S-class article: Not to be read without permission from the Hokage.**

**Original text location: Missing**

**Writer: Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure 09-6769-558**

**I have perfected the jutsu that would send Hinata-chan back to her real time. I actually finished it a few weeks ago but did not have the heart to present it to her yet—along with Kakashi and my wife. Kushina never knew about this time travel thing…and I know that it would affect my wife dearly since she grew to love the girl who she d****id****n't know was a girl who ha****d****skipped through time.**

**In truth, I also started to care for the time traveler.**

**Kakashi is also another thing. Ever since his team was broken—with Rin dying by his hands and Obito missing—he has changed for the worse. He has caged his emotions within himself and was not the same since. The boy has lost a lot…and his actions were quite understandable…**

**But when Hinata entered his life, I c****ould****see the changes. At first they were small, insignificant changes but as they spent more time together…my student began to change for the better. He was no longer an empty vessel—a man without emotions.**

**And the way he looks at her—was the same way that I looked at my wife.**

**And now I'm going to tear his new found hope again. I am afraid that it might break him but I have no choice. I have to send the girl back because time is difficult to change. Time should not be tampered with. Time is something that cannot be tainted by men.**

**Tomorrow, I have decided to give Kakashi the order of being the one to perform the jutsu that I created to make the time flow back to normal. It would send Hinata-chan ****back to her****her real time—the future time—so that she could be with her love****d****ones again.**

**There is also a chance that she won't remember anything. I have personally added that to the jutsu. There ****is****far too m****uch****information that Hinata kn****ows****about the past. I don't want it to be used for future knowledge. It might cause trouble since that kind of knowledge came from a time she was not supposed to be in.**

**But I am not that heartless…so I decided to cut her some slack. She might remember a few things in this time…that if she can get in touch with her feelings once again. Old feelings always stir memories to appear. In Hinata's case, if her feelings for Kakashi might return in the future—there's a chance that she might remember.**

**I hope they both find happiness in their right time. Time has brought them together…so maybe time will bring them back someday.  
><strong>  
>-End of article-<p>

-o-o-o-

Hinata cannot believe her eyes. Not in a million years was she expecting to see Kakashi Hatake's face. Not even his team seven managed to remove the mask and take a glimpse at what was underneath. She had to admit that her heartbeat stopped—not entirely sure for how long—but it really did stop.

The man was unbelievably handsome.

Try imagining Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuga Neji. Those two were considered to be the most handsome Shinobi in their batch. Now combine their handsomeness then multiply it by ten.

And that's how high Kakashi's good looks ranked.

He had a strong jaw and a proud nose. There was a small scar on the side of his cheek that made his face looked ragged. Usually, scars are not considered beauty marks…but it was entirely different on the copy ninja's case. And his lips…his lips looked so soft that she could bit—

Good heavens! Why was she even thinking about these kinds of things? It makes her feel so wanton.

"S-sensei…" She was so stunned and flustered that she was not even aware that she was calling him sensei again. "Y-your face." What should she tell him? That his face was so perfect she never saw anyone as beautiful as him? "Ano…y-you took off your m-mask." The food was suddenly forgotten and she was not even minding the soft grumbling of her stomach.

Kakashi 's lips twitched, an indication that he was very well aware of whatever he was doing. "Yeah…I took off my mask."

"Why?" Hinata croaked. She never knew seeing someone's face will have this kind of effect on her. Was that the reason he why was hiding his face all the time? Because he was so handsome it might make anyone swoon? That it might distract his students whenever they are on a mission or training? "Y-You never take it off."

"I trust you not to tell." He was not looking at her, and was busy inspecting the bread on his hand. The fire continues to cackle, casting shadows upon them. The copy ninja was feeling sheepish. He was not someone who liked to play games or tried to mess with a girl's mind…but technically, she had seen his face a long time ago…and he felt like he could try showing her his face again and see what happened—though he didn't know the exact reason why he was doing it.

"But why…?"

"I am weak from the poison." Kakashi explained. He saw the bewilderment on her face and it surprised him a bit that he actually liked…messing with the girl a bit. She had her eyes wide and lips partly opened—she was cute to watch. "So I won't be using an illusion jutsu to hide my face as I eat. "

"Oh…"

"Eat your food Hinata-chan, before it gets cold."

Hinata's eyes dropped to the bread but she couldn't help herself, so she stole another glance to the older man's direction. "Y-you have a very handsome face…Kakashi-san." She muttered.

"Really?" Kakashi feigned innocence. "Well that's a shocker."

Hinata smiled. The man obviously knew how good looking he was. "But I guess not everyone knows that…"

"Only one." The copy nin gave her a wink. "It's our little secret."

The meal ended in silence but Hinata still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she was able to see the copy nin's face. Sakura and Naruto would have a fit if they knew. They had tried everything—almost everything just to see what was under that mask. And here she was, not even trying.

Though she got to admit that she was glad to see Kakashi's face. It's like an unexpected gift …

"I'll take first watch." Kakashi brushed the bread crumbs from his vest and stood up. He has pulled the mask over half of his face again. "You rest."

"Kakashi-san…I have been resting for hours. You should rest and I'll take first watch."

"No."

Hinata would have pressed her case, if she was not interrupted by a loud clapping sound of thunder—stopping their small debate on who should take first watch. Both looked at the sky at the same time, noting that the stars had disappeared because of the heavy clouds.

Another clap of thunder and both hastily collected their packs. It was a sign of rain, and it was good if they could find—

"Damn…" Kakashi muttered as the rain started to pour on heavy drops. The small fire has been extinguished, leaving a curly smoke and darkness. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust on the dark surrounding but it was not that dark that they can't manage. "Could you find us a place tonight?" Kakashi asked her. "With your Byakugan."

Hinata was already on it even before he asked. Looking around, she pointed south. "I saw a small cave but—"

"Good." Taking the girl's arm, he pulled her with him. "I suggest we run."

When they reached the said cave, both were disappointed that it couldn't really keep them dry for they were already wet. The rain has gotten them before they reached the place. Hinata's long hair was sticking onto her face, making it hard for her to see. Her body was also starting to get cold from the cold, moist wind.

Blowing wet blue strands away from her mouth, she looked at Kakashi.

His hair was dripping wet and his mask soaked. She waited for him to take it off again but he didn't. Instead, the silver haired ninja took off his green vest. Then the long, black undershirt followed. Catching herself ogling, Hinata diverted her gaze to the ground. It was not a proper thing to do…

But still, she couldn't help but notice how firm and strong Kakashi's back looked. He was not the bulky type but one could really tell that every muscle…every fiber was in the right place.

Good lord…

"Hinata-chan."

Hinata jumped back a little, caught off guard at the sudden call. She was a little busy with her thoughts so she was not really aware that Kakashi was now looking at her. "K-Kakashi-san?" She looked at him, but tried her best to stare only at his face. He was still half naked, so her instinct told her not to look down.

"You're drenched. Why don't you take off your jacket so you can dry it off? "

Hinata's cheeks heated. "Ano…I am not really that c-cold."

Then she sneezed.

Kakashi gave her a look that says: Yeah, right. Then he opened one of his packs. Even without fire to light the place up, he could still see after his eyes were able to adjust in the dark place. Pulling out a black, long sleeved, shirt, he tossed it towards her. "You can wear that. It's dry."

"It's yours Kakashi-san."

"Anything wrong with it?"

Hinata shook her head. "N-nothing."

"We can't make fire for there's no wood..." Kakashi kicked away at a few stones then seated himself on the ground. They could hear the strong drops of rain outside. There's also the sound of thunder. He squinted and looked at the girl. She was holding his shirt like it was a strange item. "Uhm…does it smell? I am not good with laundry so—"

"Ano…it smells good Kakashi-san." Hinata did not even hesitate for a second when she answered. It was only a little later when she realized what she said. Leave it to the copy ninja to make her be so flustered. She was not usually like this…

"You smelled my shirt." Kakashi stated, quite amused. "Or are you just being polite?"

"Uhm…"

Kakashi chuckled. "I'm just joking." He then turned his back on the girl. "Now change. I am not looking and you can use your Byakugan on me to be sure."

-o-

Hatake Kakashi slept like the dead.

That's what Hinata noticed when it was her turn to be on guard. He was also a fast sleeper. The moment he laid on the ground and closed his eye, he was never heard of again. When he was asleep, he only stayed in one position. It had been two hours now—and his sleeping position hadn't change.

Edging closer, Hinata squinted and stared at the calm face. She was recalling the way he looked without a mask and her heart skipped. It had that effect on her every time she thought about it. It was surprising and weird and so she decided not to ponder upon the subject too much.

Strange…

Kakashi was not only famous for his ninja skills but also for the mystery that surrounds him. Nobody really knew a lot of things about this man—well, maybe with the exemption of his three favorite students—but all she knew was that Hatake Kakashi was the son of Konoha's great White Fang and he was a student of Naruto-kun's dad, the Yondaime.

And after being with him for a few days, she had to admit that she was quite intrigued.

Hinata leaned on the stone wall and pinched her wrist to keep her awake. She wondered how everyone back home was doing. She was sure some of them have missions of their own too like her. Maybe Shino and Kiba have missions too? She heard the Inouzuka saying something about going to Suna…

"Hinata…"

The Hyuga's head snapped to Kakashi. Was he calling her name? Squinting, she looked at him with a confused expression. Maybe he's awake now and—

Hinata gasped.

On Kakashi's place, was a young Anbu—he was not wearing a mask but she could tell with his vest and arm guards. He has his eyes closed too. He also has silver hair that was identical to the copy ninja and—

"What…" She muttered, backing up against the wall. No…not identical. The teenager on Kakashi's place was not a different person. He was Kakashi…younger Kakashi. The scar on his right eye was the same with Kakashi-sensei.

The half covered face and the proud nose—it was so Kakashi.

Hinata covered her eyes. This was some kind of hallucination she was sure. Maybe it was still the effect from the drug earlier. The poison must have not left her system yet and it was still messing with her brain…

Yes. Maybe that was it.  
><em><br>(f) "So that's what you have been hiding!" Gai pointed an accusing finger at Hinata—who tried to act blind. She and Kakashi were cornered by Gai, Iruka, and Asuma the moment that both of them stepped out from his apartment. Kakashi scowled but pulled her behind him, acting as some sort of human shield from the glares of his classmates._

_"You have a girlfriend?" Iruka's mouth gaped. "And you are living in one place?"_

_"That's none of your business Iruka." Kakashi snapped._

_"You did not deny it." Asuma noted, putting his hands on his pocket. "So she's you__r__girlfriend?"_

_Gai shook his head in dismay, muttering something about ruined rivalry by pretty girls. It might have been a huge issue for the young Shinobi for he began to cry. Tears were forming on his round eyes that reminded Hinata of Rock Lee._

_"What are you three doing here?" Kakashi asked Asuma. He was the most reasonable person out of the three right now. Gai was still crying while Iruka was busy looking at Hinata. It seem__ed as though__he c__ould__n't believe that a girl can keep __up__with the Hatake's attitude._

_"Just checking up on you."_

_"More like spying."_

_Asuma smirked. "You are our classmate Kakashi…our friend. You don't have to be so rude you little ass—"_

_"Hi…" A smiling Kurenai suddenly landed beside Asuma. Hinata lightened up when she saw her sensei's younger self. Kurenai was beautiful…with her red eyes and curly black hair. Asuma suddenly closed his mouth before a curse came out of it. "I __was__bounding on the roofs when I saw you here…I wonde—oh." Her ruby eyes landed on the blue haired girl. "Who's this?"_

_"Kakashi's girlfriend!" Iruka piped in._

_"You have a girlfriend?" Kurenai's eyes widened. "Why are her eyes covered?"_

_"I don't have to answer this interrogation." Kakashi stated__,__then dragged the blue haired girl with him. He knew that even if he t__old__them that the girl was his cousin, they wo__uld__n't believe him still. So why bother? (f)_

-o-o-o-

_Here ends the chapter but the flashback scene will continue in the next. I promise to update very soon…I know this chapter was a little messy. I am so busy I can't find the time to edit and reread._

_Please review…:)_

_-crazygurl12_


	8. Chapter 8

_I'm updating because I got a lot of reviews from the last chap. I love it! Btw…I am so glad that a lot like Minato's journal. Lol. I have fun writing it…  
><em>

_By the way…English is not my first language so I tend to make grammar errors okay?_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Eight

(f) _"Kakashi-kun…would you please slow down?" Hinata asked, wondering when the Anbu would stop his long stride strides. He was much faster than her and it was hard to keep up. Kakashi would not even look back in fear that Gai was following them. "Why are you running away from them anyway? Th-they are not so bad." She was feeling a little disappointed. It would have been nice if she can spend a few minutes with Kurenai Yuhi's younger self. She adored her jounin instructor so much and it would have been awesome to see what she was like when she was young._

_Kakashi was so different in this time…so Kurenai-sensei might be different too._

_"They are not idiots. They might sense that there is something different about you. I know you were activating your Byakugan…they could sense that and learn that you are a Hyuga."_

_"Oh…" He was right—but still—it would have been awesome. "I understand Kakashi-kun."_

_The Hatake let go of her arm and he adjusted his forehead protector. It was beginning to slip and he d__id__n't want his sharingan to activate on its own. He was still new about using Obito's Kekkei Genkai and his control was not yet perfect. There were times that he los__t__his hold on it. "Just try not to __attract__attention to yourself__,__" he told the Hyuga—though he knew that Hinata's body curvature tends to attract a lot of eyes—especially __from__the male population._

_"O...kay." The girl nodded her head._

_"Come." He tugged at her sleeve. "Let's go away from here before anybody sees us. Anbu usually passes this way because—"_

_"It's the nearest and the safest path to the Anbu interrogation building." Hinata finished Kakashi's words for him. "I know…it's still the same in the future." Smiling a bit, she continued. "It's still the same in my time."_

_They walked in silence. Kakashi allowed her to keep up with his pace by slowing a bit. She thanked him for that, though he just look__ed__embarrassed when she said her gratitude out loud. It ha__d__been a few months and if her assumption was correct, the cold Anbu was beginning to warm up to her._

_He may still be cold sometimes__,__but he tend__ed__to show her his gentle side every now and then. That was enough for her at the moment. "Where are we going?" She asked._

_"I want to show you something."_

_"Wha—"_

_"Just keep quiet and look that way." Kakashi pointed to the direction that le__d__to a small clearing. They __had__just emerged from the thicker part of the forest and __were__currently standing near a thick bush. He instructed her to stay down and not to move too much—in case someone might see them._

_When Hinata turned and followed Kakashi's hand with her gaze, she frowned when she saw a woman sitting on the grass. The said woman was leaning on a tree trunk and was reading a book under the shade. She was wearing a small hat on her head that was covering her face from their field of vision._

_At first, she was confused. So Kakashi wants her to see a woman who was silently reading a book? She was about to ask him what his point was when a strong gush of wind passed by them._

_Hinata held her skirt and hair with her hands. Kakashi just let it pass by him without much drama._

_The woman sitting on the clearing dropped her book and her hands flew up to hold her hat on place. She was not fast enough though, for the strong wind knocked the hat off her head…revealing vibrant blue hair that was identical to Hinata's._

_It was also at that moment that Hinata saw the woman's white eyes._

_"Kaa-san." Hinata muttered. She has seen the woman in the pictures her father ke__pt__inside his drawers. She has seen that kind face in a photograph that was taken before she was born. It was displayed on the Hyuga clan's living room where her father usually me__t__the other clan heads or elders. A whimper escaped Hinata's mouth and her gaze drifted back to Kakashi. He was looking uninterested but Hinata knew otherwise. "Kakashi-kun…she's my Kaa-san."_

_"The way you talked about your mother tells me that you haven't spent much time with her." Kakashi said. "I know she's your mother. You two have the same features."_

_"Did you bring me here to…?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"That's me in there…" Hinata whispered, pointing at the small bulge on the woman's midsection. "She's pregnant with me." (f)_

Kakashi's eye snapped open the moment he heard a soft scream. Scrambling to his feet, he took off the forehead protector off his sharingan eye and looked for the girl. The first thing that entered his mind upon waking up was that they were being attacked.

"Hinata-chan!" He called, spotting a dark figure on the cave wall. She was shaking when he reached her. "What happened?" He touched her shoulder and she backed away from him. "What's the matter?"

Hinata blinked upon hearing Kakashi's voice. He was towering over her so she raised her chin to look at him and saw the sharingan eye. It was glowing and she stared at it in a trance-like way. "I…I…"

"You what?"

Was she going to tell him the truth and say something about the things that she was seeing? Kakashi may think that she was crazy. He may question her mental state and might send her back to Konoha without finishing the mission.

No…he must not know.

"I…" She racked her brains for a believable excuse. "I saw a…snake."

"You are afraid of snakes?" Kakashi asked, rubbing his eye and then covered the red, bloodshot sharingan with his palm. So it was a false alarm. "I thought you were in trouble." The girl was still trembling and he doubted her excuse for a second. Snakes can't bring that much fear…except if it was Orochimaru.

Now that snake was something to be feared.

"Gomen…" Hinata lowered her head. "I did not mean to wake you up. That was so foolish of me. Please go back to your sleep Kakashi-san." Even if it was dark, she could see his silhouette and it was unmoving. She felt uneasy about lying and she knew that the copy ninja was not some kind of person that could easily be swayed by a lie. "Gomen."

"Is it really a snake?" Kakashi asked again.

"Hai." Even though it was dark, she looked away from him. What if she sees another hallucination?

He scratched his chin lightly. "Okay…though I think I'm going to be on watch now. I slept enough."

"Kakashi-san. I am so sorry for waking you up. Really I am."

"It's not a big deal. Now it's your turn to rest."

The next morning, both were already tree hoping before the sun was up. Hinata tried to forget the events from last night and reasoned with herself that it was just a product of her mind, and that it may also be the side effects of the poison she took. Maybe Kakashi had hallucinations too…and decided to keep them to himself because he was a very rational Shinobi.

Yeah…maybe that was it.

Beside her, Kakashi was reading the orange colored book that she vowed to never, ever lay her eyes on again. The very memory of those words—when she accidentally read it—sent chills down to her spine. It was so erotic that she could feel her cheeks heating up by just imagining the scene those words has formed inside her brain.

But why does Kakashi look like he was just reading some kind of newspaper when he was reading that book? He was concentrating yes, but his eye still had that lazy look to it. He was not even looking flustered and embarrassed. It was like…very normal for him.

Hinata knew that if she's going to read that book…she wouldn't last for five minutes. She might even combust after just two minutes. A smile suddenly formed on her lips. Why was she even thinking about these things? They were so nonsensical and they were not even supposed to bother her. She should be focusing on the mission ahead and nothing else.

Though she still couldn't help thinking about Kakashi's strong-looking back and handsom—

Get a hold on yourself, Hinata. She grimaced. Her mind kept playing tricks and she couldn't even control it. With a sigh, she concentrated on the path ahead and made sure that she was landing on the right branch. No matter how good one was with chakra control, it was nothing if the branch you're landing on was weak.

The continued on their way and it lasted for hours without break.

Maybe Kakashi was catching up with the lost time from when they were both unconscious, but he was not saying anything about rest. Hinata actually expected him to stop hours ago but he didn't. Looking up, she estimated the time to be early afternoon—and they have been traveling for hours before the sun was up.

They did not even have proper breakfast, but just relied on the energy pills.

Kakashi observed the girl in the side of his eye, all the while pretending to read his favorite Icha-Icha series. He knew she was tired. He was tired too but this forest's parts were not really safe for them to stop in. He passed by this a few times on missions and he was always on guard. This area was an open route. It meant that it was the easiest way to use and still was a good cover because of the thick trees.

Travelers use this route…and criminals too.

Hinata was starting to lag behind so he stopped and looked back at her. She was panting and sweat formed on her forehead and nose. Her face was red and lips pale too. "Hinata…"

"Just go ahead of me Kakashi-san. I just need to catch my breath and I'll be fine."

No, she won't be fine. He closed the book then returned it in his pocket. After a few leaps, he landed next to her. He was not trying to push her to her limits but they might attract unwanted attention if they stopped here. Without a word, he removed his pack then transferred it on his front.

Then he kneeled.

Hinata frowned.

"You can rest on my back. I'll carry you."

"No Kakashi-san." The girl sounded aghast. "I just need a few minutes…really."

"Hinata-chan…" Now he was sounding like he was talking to a kid. "Just do it."

"Kakashi-san…" Hinata was hesitating. Kiba or Shino gave her piggy back rides when they were goofing around—but they were her teammates for goodness sake. This man in front of her was her teacher…her senior…and she knew that he was tired too.

"Hinata-chan…do you trust me?"

"Hai."

"Then do what I say okay?"

Hinata bit her lip and with a defeated sigh, she clasped her arms around his neck and positioned herself on his back. Of course it felt weird riding Kakashi Hatake's back, especially when the memory of how strong looking it was last night was already engraved inside her mind…forever.

Her cheeks were on flames, especially when she realized that she was sitting on his hands that he had clasped behind him—like all do when giving piggyback rides.

Goodness gracious.

Hinata gasped when the copy ninja continued his long leaps. This was the closest she had ever been with the Hatake and she couldn't help but smell his hair. It was not as if she was sniffing his hair—for it was weird—but she could just smell it because it continued to tickle her face.

He smelled good…just like the shirt he loaned her last night.

"I'm sorry if we can't rest here," Hatake said. Hinata was startled a bit because she felt the vibrations on his throat as he spoke. "But this place is not really secure for us to do so. There's another town…but we won't reach it until this evening. We can clean ourselves and buy food there."

"Oh…I understand." She replied. "But Kakashi-san…I really don't want to be a burden—"

"Don't worry…you're light as a feather Hinata-chan." Kakashi's voice sounded so sincere and she even heard him chuckle. "Sakura's heavier than you." But not in the upper section…Sakura is weightless in that department, Kakashi added mentally.

Still clinging to his neck, Hinata asked. "I did not know there are more towns around these places."

"There are," Kakashi answered. "People who don't want to live in the main villages live in towns. Some are under Shinobi jurisdiction but because they were too far from the great villages, feudal lords were assigned and were given authority to lead and care for them…but some are lawless towns."

"I see."

Kakashi was right. When they reached another town, it was already late in the evening. Compared to the last one, this town was much better. It was clean and the people in it were not like those ragged, dirty people from the inn which they stayed. They were just a normal looking bunch. The aura around the place was different too.

It was like the same with Konoha and Hinata felt at ease at once.

"I like this place…" She muttered.

"I like this place too." Kakashi's eyes wrinkled at the sides, letting her know that he was smiling. They were walking along with a group of people who probably wanted to have a drink or two tonight. There was laughter and joyful chatter everywhere. "The feudal Lord of the place is a kind man. He is one of the legendary samurai."

"Legendary samurai…" Hinata repeated. "How many towns will we pass after this Kakashi-san?"

"None. This is the last one. From here on out…we are going to have a hard time. That's why we need to buy as much food." With that, Kakashi took her hand and dropped the coins onto her palm. "I want you to buy us food. Women are better in it than men so I trust you with our provisions."

Hinata smiled, remembering how hopeless her male teammates and Niisan were when it comes with things like grocery shopping. She guessed that Kakashi was too. "I agree."

"My…you are sexist."

Hinata giggled.

Kakashi pointed to a small building with flashing lights. "The market is small…so I know that you could navigate on your own. I will meet you in front of that building after two hours. I have to go and find us a place to stay."

"Hai."

"Give me your packs and I'll go ahead."

When they separated, Hinata began to search for provisions. She chose mostly dried fruits and other edibles that she knew would last for a few days without getting spoiled. She also bought meat and bread. For tonight's meal, she decided to buy from one of the food booths. A hot soup would be nice…or barbecue. Mentally, she caught herself thinking what food the copy ninja would want to eat.

Finally, she settled for lamb stew and sushi.

With both hands full of paper bags, Hinata found herself waiting in front of the said building that Kakashi had pointed out to her hours ago. The copy nin was nowhere in sight and she had the urge to use her Byakugan to search for him. Shifting her weight from one foot to another, she realized that the Hatake was late.

Maybe he had a hard time looking for a place where they can spend the night?

"Are you alone miss?" A young man of his early twenties stopped in front of her. He was alone and he scrutinized her appearance with his indigo colored eyes. "I never seen you before…you must be new in this town."

"I am waiting for someone…" She said, wincing when she felt that the paper bag on her left hand began to tear. A second later, canned goods and fruit preserves littered her feet. "Oh no…" Hinata muttered, putting the remaining paper bag on the ground and began picking up the things she bought.

"I'll help you." The man offered. "Oh…I'll get you a stronger bag." He suddenly ran the opposite direction and when he returned, he was carrying a cloth bag. He gave it to her. "Here."

"Arigatou," Hinata said sincerely, putting the items inside it.

"A girl like you shouldn't be out here at night alone," The man said, helping her. "This may be a peaceful town but that doesn't mean you can trust strangers."

Hinata looked at him with raised eyebrows.

He laughed, showing white and even teeth. "Right…a stranger telling you not to trust a stranger. But don't worry. I am not like the scary…creepy kind. My name's Youta. Are you new here?"

"Just a traveler…"

"I see. I never seen your face before and I was just curious." He smiled again, passing her a pear. "So can I know your nam—"

"Hinata-chan." Kakashi called, hands in his pockets as he walked towards them. His droopy, uncovered eye was not on his mission partner but on the young man. He had a hard time looking for cheap inns so he spends longer time than expected.

"Good evening sir," The young man greeted him politely and his eyes were on the forehead protector on Kakashi's head. So they are ninjas? Looking at the pretty bluennete, he gave her a smile. "Oh…so you're waiting for your brother?"

Hinata shook her head. "No…he is not my—"

"Father then?" The young man guessed. "But isn't he too young to be your dad…?"

Kakashi smiled and shook his head. "Father? My…do I look that old?" There was a false cheery tone in his voice and Hinata noticed it. "No, I am not her Otou-san. Though I am a father too in a sense…" With a stoic glance at Hinata, he took the bags off her hands. "You see…I am the father of her baby."

-o-o-o-

_Here ends the chapter._

_Please review…:*puppy eyes._

_-crazygurl12_


	9. Chapter 9

_Yay! Its Christmas vacation and I can finally rest from my Engineering classes and write and write and write! (I love writing! My hands always itched to hold a pen or keyboard. Weird right?)_

_I am super inlove with KakaHina right now. (Anyways…you guys know any good fiction about them? I want to read one. I searched for it and so few good KakaHina stories but a lot of KakaSaku (I don't ship them to be honest)…I'm so sad. Please message me if you know any.)_

_Btw…English is not my first language so I would always make grammar errors. So read at your own risk and don't say I didn't warn you. (I have been doing that since the first chapter.)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Nine

**An excerpt from the Hokage's Journal/ S-class article. Not to be read without permission from the Hokage.**

**Original text location: Konohagakure/ Hokage tower/ S-Class files/**

**Writer: Tsunade, Fifth Hokage of Konohakagure 09-6768-7900**

_A month ago, I was surprised to discover that one of the Anbu in my branch found an old tattered journal in the old library. It was labeled S-class and was brought to my attention. No one dared to read it in fear that it might __cost__ them their lives. S-class articles were always forbidden to anyone except for the current Hokage. (The penalty is death. It may sound harsh but S-class articles were not labeled S-class for nothing.)_

_When it was brought to me, I honestly thought that it was some kind of Shinobi mission reports or something from eons ago, and that it was not that interesting for me to read….but when I opened the book, I was wrong._

_Fucking wrong._

_It was the Lord Fourth's journal._

_We Hokage's, due to tradition—which was bullshit in my opinion for I already have too much paperwork—need to keep journals and jot down any interesting things that are happening in our current time. It was like a personal log. Future Hokages would be able to have access to the way a past Hokage deals with his trials, works and decision making._

_It was like passing down knowledge…at least, that's what the Third told me when he was still alive._

_The only interesting thing that I jotted so far was the successful S-class missions, some treaties to the other Shinobi villages, and Jaraiya's Icha-Icha booksellers, which for me was moulding another generation worth of perverts and dirty minded idiots._

_Oh…and I also jotted down a few things about Uzumaki Naruto. That boy is a great big idiot but he was worth the ink and a page. The boy, __I've__ got to admit, was remarkable in his own way. There are also a few things about Uchiha Sasuke and my apprentice, Sakura Haruno._

_But the Yondaime'e journal was another matter. The council and the Third thought that it was destroyed during the time when the Kyuubi attacked. No one ever guessed that it would be hidden under a stash of old scrolls and ancients books inside an abandoned library._

_And when the book landed __in__ my hands, I knew I __had__ to read it. I am not really a bookworm but I know I have to._

_My sense of duty tells me to._

_So I read it. I SACRIFICED two nights of my gambling nights just to finish reading Minato Namikaze's book. I have been very patient because there are things that might help me…some hidden knowledge…or even some magical formula for the most delicious sake in existence._

_And I was right…I found something that almost stunned me for days. Unfortunately, it was not about sake._

_I saw some articles written about Hinata Hyuga. Hiashi's daughter and Kurenai's apprentice._

_I mean….what the fuck? The girl was what…eighteen? Nineteen years of age? And she was mentioned in the book that was written before she was even born. At first, I thought it was just a mistake. Some spelling errors maybe…or the Hinata in Minato's log and the Hinata in my time just have the same name._

_But when I read the description, I almost swallowed one gallon of sake in just one gulp._

_Oh wait…I did. _

_So I read and read and read—then swallowed another gallon of sake after I found the answers to my questions after reading page sixty. I made a copy (See the copy attached)._

_Hinata Hyuga managed to perform a hidden jutsu and time traveled in the past—In Minato's time— and stayed there for a year. Everything was brought back to normal though, for Minato made a counter jutsu and returned the Hyuga to her real time._

_In this time._

_Another interesting thing… I read something about Hatake Kakashi knowing about this fact. He did not mention anything about this time travel thing to me—but I am not angry, I read about him pledging before the Fourth that he __wouldn't__ tell anyone. I respect that._

_But still… all I could say while reading the Fourth's log was __"__Shit__"__._

_Fuck._

_Shit._

_And so I decided to do something. There was one article that really got my attention. And believe me; nothing can get my attention if I knew that it was not worth it._

_It says that Hinata doesn't remember anything about her time skipping thing…but might remember it if she get in touch with her feelings for Hatake Kakashi._

_Romantic feelings? Or a camaraderie kind of feeling? (I am still confused about that part but I am putting my money on my first guess.)_

_And so I send them both on a mission…and hopefully, there might be something interesting to add into my journal when they get back._

-End of article-

Hinata never knew that she was going to have a heart attack in this mission. The moment Kakashi said that he was the father of her baby—she thought that she was going to faint.

Good thing that she didn't. The last thing that she needed was Kakashi saying that she fainted because of their second baby. Mouth gaping, she looked at him quizzically.

Kakashi pretended not to see.

"Oh…" Youta scratched his head. Now this was embarrassing. "I did not realize…gomenasai." Smiling apologetically to the pretty blue haired girl, he bowed his head low to the tall, silver haired man. "I did not realized that she was your wife…I am just helping her sir."

"I see that." Kakashi replied.

"And I am just concerned that a pretty girl is alone at this time of night." Youta continued. He got the feeling that the husband was not too happy with him. He understood him though, if his wife was going to be as beautiful and curvy like the girl next to him, he would be very possessive too. Hell, he would follow her all around like a puppy—knowing that she was going to be an attraction to most men.

"Thank you for your concern…but I am here now." Kakashi's one eye wrinkled again. "But we need to get going." With a simple look to the Hyuga's direction, he gave her a curt nod. "Shall we?"

The way to the inn was awfully quiet and Hinata began to play with her fingers as she walked. Next to her, Kakashi was silent too…wondering what on Earth and Kami's name was he thinking when he declared that he was the father of Hinata's baby. "I'm just teasing," he suddenly said, laughing softly.

Hinata chuckled nervously. "I know Kakashi-san." It should not be a big deal, but why was she feeling so…shy? Looking down on the ground, she mentally counted from one to ten.

One…Kakashi-sensei was just teasing.

Two…She was just being ridiculous.

Three…Why was she picturing out a baby anyway?

Four…Why was she picturing the baby to have silver hair and white Hyuga eyes?

Five...Stop this nonsense.

Six...She was thinking crazy things.

Seven—

"Uhmm…" Kakashi stole a glance at her, not knowing that he just cut through her thoughts. Silly and weird thoughts if she has anything to say about it. "I think you should know something…"

"What is it Kakashi-san?" She asked politely, peering at him under her bangs. The man raised his masked face up and looked at the dark sky.

"The Inn that we are going to stay for tonight…"

"Yes…?"

"Have no rooms except one. So we have to share." Kakashi finished then mentally punched himself on the face. He just declared that he was her baby daddy to a complete stranger. A few minutes later, he was telling her that they are going to share a room for tonight.

Way to go Kakashi…way to go to scare the girl out of her wits.

"Oh…" Hinata pretended that it was not a big deal like she did with his mask. Kakashi was just teasing…he always does that, and it's not like she haven't spend a night with him—and he was a true gentleman. They were fine last night weren't they? The only difference was, they were not going to sleep inside a cave but on a comfortable bed. "Okay. Ano…are you hungry Kakashi-san? I bought Tempura and lamb stew. I hope its fine with you."

She mentally patted her own back for subtlety of changing the subject.

"It is." Kakashi smiled, wanting to ease the awkwardness. "I am no picky eater so no worries."

The inn was nice and cozy looking and the room that was assigned for them was no different. There was a small bed on the middle and a small kitchenette on the farthest side. There was also a bathroom that smells of flowers. It reminds Hinata of Ino's flower garden. "This is nice." She said when she laid her eyes on it. "Nicer than I imagined."

Kakashi dropped the packs. "I know that you might want to clean up before eating…and I want to get cleaned too. So you go first while I check the inn keeper about the payment. We haven't settled it yet."

"Hai." Hinata said, knowing very well that Kakashi was just going to exit the room for her sake. The man didn't want her to think he was a pervert by being inside the room while she was bathing. She knew that he has paid the innkeeper already. No businessmen would allow you to have their goods without paying first.

When Kakashi left, she hurriedly placed all her packs on the side of the bed. The bed was so comfortable looking that for a minute, Hinata has the urge to just skip dinner and go to sleep. Her body was so tired she could almost hear the bones inside her screaming for rest.

With a groan, she touched the soft mattress with her right hand, running it along the soft silken material.

But if Kakashi wanted the bed, he could have it. The man deserved to sleep in comfort tonight too. He has carried her for almost three hours and he was not even complaining. With another groan, she stretched her body by raising her hands into the air. She could hear bones clicking and it made her feel good.

The bathroom was so floral scented that it made her relax. It was small yet the space was enough for a shower area and a toilet. She actually squealed in delight when she saw that she can have the choice for a hot or cold bath.

She stripped off her clothes and hung them on a peg. Turning the shower on, she sighed in relief when water touched her skin. She could feel the dirt and dust washing off her body, and the fatigue too. Water, it seems, was good for sore muscles.

When she finished bathing, she washed her soiled clothes and hanged them on the same peg to dry. When Kakashi returned, she was already on her long sleeved, purple tee and black pants. Her long hair was dripping wet, soaking her back a bit. "It's your turn Kakashi-san," she said, hands busy rummaging through the small cupboards for dishes. "I'll start plating dinner so that we can rest. I-It's already late."

"That would be nice." The copy ninja entered the bathroom then closed the door. The next thing Hinata heard was the strong sound of splashing water that she began to wonder if he was creating some kind of tidal wave in there.

Humming gently to herself, she began to divide the lamb stew and tempura into two servings. She also toasted raisin bread just to make their meal more filling. A good dinner was always a treat for most people…especially the tired ones.

When Kakashi stepped out, Hinata stopped herself from peeping inside the bathroom—half suspecting that it was already flooding in there by just judging how enthusiastic the copy nin was in splashing the water earlier. Kakashi was not wearing his mask, revealing his handsome face again.

He was wearing a black shirt and pants, a towel on top of his head and water droplets on his face. He seated himself on the side of the bed while Hinata pretended to be busy with the food. She didn't want him to think that she was ogling. He trusted her enough to show her something that he never showed to anyone, and she wanted the Hatake to feel that his face was no big deal for her.

So that he would continue to be at ease around her and continue that 'trust'. She loved being trusted and always considered it to be an honor. The feeling of being trusted was nice…although in this case, she really wanted to stare and stare and stare.

"Smells good." He commented, throwing the towel on a laundry basket. "I'm famished."

"L-let's eat then." Hinata gave him a plate when he stood up and plopped on one of the chairs. She was trying her best not to look at his face and it seemed like she was succeeding. If he noticed her odd behavior, he did not say anything.

While they ate in silence, her gaze never left the food. She could hear him munching happily on the other side of the small table and she smiled despite of herself. She was satisfied that she was able to pick the right food. At least her effort was appreciated.

"That's…filling." Kakashi smiled and looked at the quiet girl. She was not looking at him but was staring at her food like they were going to disappear the moment she removed her gaze. Frowning a little, his hand rose to wipe his lips from the lamb sauce. Was she still thinking about the baby daddy thing? "Hey…something wrong Hinata-chan?"

She shook her head.

"You looked bothered. If it's about that baby daddy thing—"

Hinata knew where the conversation was going so she finally looked up and smiled. "T-that was funny," she said, swallowing the awkwardness she felt. Like Kakashi said, it was a just a joke so she should not ponder upon it too much.

Unfortunately, his face was distracting. "I think he really believed it Kakashi-san."

"Yeah…" Kakashi smiled too.

"K-Kakashi-san!" Hinata suddenly sounded excited and her reserved face changed into a more thrilled one. The disturbing thoughts were forgotten as she discovered another thing that was worth mentioning. "I didn't notice it before but…you have two dimples!" When Kakashi smiled, she saw two hollow dots on each side of his cheek.

"Genes." He muttered.

Hinata giggled. "Too bad nobody could see that."

"Nah…It's better this way." Kakashi stood up, glad that the girl was still easy around him. Picking up his own used dish and bowl, he walked to the sink and placed it there. Hinata followed behind him, carrying her own plate.

After washing his hands, he sidestepped with the intention of giving way—but the lights went out.

"Oh…" He heard the girl mutter behind him.

"Some kind of electrical problems," he said, shaking his hands to remove the excess water and wheeled himself around. Maybe the innkeeper had some candles or lamps stashed somewhere for nights like this. He better ask for some and—"Ooopss."

Someone—or more precisely– Hinata, just slammed her face on his chest.

"Oh!" Hinata gasped when she collided with the copy ninja. She was about to turn and activate her Byakugan when she found her face flat on the Hatake's chest. She winced because it hurt her nose and lip. Kakashi should have turned left while she should have turned right or the other way around.

But because none of them did that, they ended getting in each other's way.

"G-gomen," she said, giggling at both of their clumsiness. At that same time, she activated her Byakugan and looked at his uncovered face.

The man was remarkably handsome. She could stare at his face for days and she knew that she would never get bored. Though why she was thinking about things like staring—she would not even ask herself. Spending days with Hatake Kakashi was weird. Really, really weird.

"It's alright." Hinata heard him say.

"O…kay."

"Now you go and sleep. I'll go to the innkeeper and ask for some candles." He gave her head a pat and pulled his mask out of his pocket. So that's where he was hiding it. "Though I think I'm the only one that needs the candles."

Hinata smiled. "Hai…I could see just as well in the dark."

When Kakashi later returned to the room—a lightened candle on his right hand and two extras on the left—he chuckled softly when he saw Hinata sleeping on the floor. She made herself a makeshift bed of spare blanket and mattress.

When he told her to sleep, he actually wanted her to use the bed and not the floor.

"Goodnight…Hinata-chan."

When Hinata woke up the next morning, she was surprised to find herself sprawled on the bed. She looked around, confusion etched on her pale face. When she saw her mission partner sitting by the small table and reading his Icha-Icha book—she knew that he was the one responsible.

Who else would it be?

"We swapped places." Kakashi said even before she could utter a single word. He flipped a page then looked at her. The girl was a complete mess. Blue hair covered her face and her eyes were still droopy from sleep. Her shirt was crumpled and she was still looking like she was in a daze. "Not a morning person?" He asked, smiling. "Good morning Hinata-chan."

Hinata frowned. As a Kunoichi, she should have known the moment Kakashi transferred her to the bed. She should have woken up that instant and not as the puzzled mess she was right now. She was such a sorry excuse for a ninja. "O-Ohayo…Kakashi-san."

Kakashi seemed to guess her thoughts for he closed the book and returned it in his pocket. Scratching his masked chin, he looked at her thoughtfully. "I took the liberty of carrying you to the bed. I'm sorry. It just doesn't feel right to me that you will be the one to sleep on the floor."

"I-It's not that Kakashi-san." She looked down and sighed. Kakashi was just being a nice partner and she should be thankful. "Though I know that you deserve the comfort of the warm bed more than me."

The Hatake smiled again. She knew he was smiling because his visible eye wrinkled. "I am used to it so don't worry about me. Hiashi is going to have a fit if I let his princess sleep on the floor." There was a hint of teasing on his voice but it did not make her feel any better.

In fact, it made her feel worse.

"Otou-sama won't care." She muttered, rising up from the bed.

"You know…you should not be so hard on yourself Hinata." Gone was the honorific. The way Kakashi said her name made her look up from her feet and to his black visible eye. "I know you're wondering why you didn't feel anything when I carried you. So I'm going to tell you the truth."

"Kakashi-san…"

"You actually woke up."

"I did?"

"Yeah." He tapped the forehead protector that was covering his sharingan eye. "But as the copy ninja…I have my pride too you know. So I used my sharingan on you so I could that I was so stealthy and silent that you didn't notice. I'm an ass."

Hinata looked stunned.

"You're going to ruin my reputation if you tell anyone."

The stunned look was replaced with a smile—then it turned into a soft laugh. "Really Kakashi-san?" So she was not a complete incompetent ninja after all. "Arigatou for telling the truth. You really made me feel better."

"It's our second secret."

The girl nodded her head vigorously. "Reputation of the copy ninja. Got it."

When Kakashi left the room to let Hinata have her privacy, the copy ninja couldn't help but shake his head and sigh as he followed the narrow corridor that led to the receiving area. He needed to return their room key anyway so might as well return it now to save time. DamnHatake Kakashi…What was he thinking anyway? Letting the girl believe his lies…

He was such a good liar.

-o-

"Kakashi-san." Hinata tilted her head to the side and saw that Kakashi was silently nibbling his raisin bread. It was their leftover from last night and it was such a waste to throw it away. They decided to just heat it up again and voila! Breakfast is served.

Kakashi's one eye focused on her. They already left the town and was on their way to the land of Kali. He mentioned yesterday that from here on out, it would be more dangerous and a hard journey so she better ready herself for any obstacles on the way. Well, she was ready. Being with the famous copy nin alone was a boost up. "Hai Hinata-chan?"

"I wasn't able to thank you properly for giving up the bed and carrying for hours yesterday." She lowered her head. "A-Arigatou Kakashi-san."

Kakashi stared for a moment and then he waved a hand. "You're welcome."

They continued on their walk while both of them slowly ate the delicious raisin bread. Both of their packs were extra heavy for the provisions that they bought for days ahead. Hinata touched her neck and slowly massaged it with her two glowing fingers. Hyuga chakra was not just known for the gentle fist technique, but was also ideal for healing disturbed chakra pathways, disconnected bones and sore muscles.

"That…looks nice." Kakashi suddenly commented, watching her.

"Kakashi-san?"

"You are massaging your neck with your chakra? Never seen something like that before…Well, except Sakura-chan when she heals broken bones."

It was because Hyuga's are too proud to be seen in public tending to sore limbs and muscles. Hinata hated to admit it, but poise and grace was part a Hyuga's daily life. "Ano...my neck is sore." She shyly explained. "It makes me feel better."

"I have sore muscles too." Kakashi said, removing his gaze from her and transferred it on the trail ahead. "And if I use my chakra on me I might electrocute myself."

Now Hinata didn't know how to react to that. "Uhm…"

"Very, very uncomfortable sore muscles…" The Hatake added.

"Oh…"

"Sleeping on hard ground or wood can have a toll on one's body." Now he knew that he was just playing on the guilt trip. "Missions can do that." As Kakashi said those words, a part of his mind was shouting that he was just making things more awkward between them.

But he couldn't deny that he liked teasing her.

Hinata looked hesitant for a moment, then a sigh came out of her mouth and she smiled. "Kakashi-san…Ano…I would be glad to…help ease you sore muscles with my chakra…anytime."

"Anytime?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"H-Hai."

"I'll hold you to that." The copy nin said before stopping on his tracks and dropped what's left if his bread on the ground. He saw Hinata gave him a confused look.

His gaze suddenly turned cold and he grabbed the sleeve of her jacket then pulled her towards him. She gasped of course, and was followed by a startled yelp when his gloved hand grabbed her neck and he held it firmly. Kakashi bent his back—for he was much taller than her—and pressed his mask on her right ear.

All the time, Hinata was just wide eyed and frozen. Honestly, she froze like ice.

"K-Kakashi-san…"

"Shh…" Kakashi's voice was low. "Just act normal…someone's watching us."

There are two things that Hinata wanted to say but decided to close her mouth shut. First, how could she act normal when a man was so close to her she could smell his masculine scent and feel his every breath? Second, Kakashi was being unfair. Before they set to continue the journey, he ordered her not to use her Byakugan because even if it would help them see…it would also unmask her chakra signature—making them visible to unwanted eyes. She understood his point, but it was making her feel left out again.

Kakashi was not called the copy ninja for nothing…and that was not even just because of his sharingan. It also honors his skill and talent as a Shinobi. She knew she was nothing compared to him, and her Kekkei Genkai would be her only lead against him. And without it, she doesn't even have any clue that they were being watched.

Thus making the inferiority complex rise again.

"Kakashi—" She started but he held her closer it almost made her faint.

"Just act normal."

-o-o-o-

_Here ends the chapter. Please review! And if you have the time…please check out my other fanfictions! I would be very happy if you do. And guys…Pm me anytime you want. If you have questions…suggestion or just to chat. Feel free._

_-crazygurl12_


	10. Chapter 10

_Sorry for the errors from last chap._

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Ten

Without warning, Kakashi suddenly pushed Hinata away from him when he heard the cold sound of kunai being thrown to their direction. With a fluent series of hand signs, he kneeled and created an earth wall to protect both of them. The way the weapons were thrown, he knew that they were not just facing a bunch of thugs like the other day. The weapons were thrown with precision and accuracy, it made him suspect that they were ninjas.

Hinata was still on the ground, but he could feel the chakra emitting from her in strong, cascading waves. She was already using her Byakugan, he was sure. When he looked at her, he saw that veins were popping inside and around the skin of her eyes. She looks a bit eerie, giving the aura that she could see straight into one's soul.

"Seven." She told him, frowning as she observed their attackers. "Shinobi of the mist." She recognized the standard uniform. She has been one of the welcoming committee a few months ago when Konoha and Kirigakure decided to discuss a new treaty, so she was able to remember. "I thought…we have a treaty with them."

"We do." The copy nin answered. "And I expect Mei Terumi to honor her word."

"Then why…?" The Hyuga rolled away from her place as another batch of throwing blades rained on them. Standing up to her feet, she bends her knees and raised both of her hands. Planting her feet firmly on the ground, she forced her chakra to build up on her palms and then performed a gentle fist rotation.

Shuriken stars and kunai reverted back, unable to pierce the shield of her palms as she rotates her body in an insanely fast pace. Next to her, Kakashi has pulled the forehead protector away from his sharingan eye and the tomoi inside it began to move.

It was then that their ambushers attacked.

Five of them landed in front of Kakashi, occupying his attention as the other two cornered Hinata. They seemed to be aware enough that the silver haired man was more dangerous compared to the long haired Hyuga so they divided their force that way. Hinata stole a glance at him as she managed to duck away from a flying katana that landed on the ground with a quivering thud. It was aimed for her head and she muttered a silent prayer of thanks after avoiding it.

"Chidori!" She heard his voice and the air was suddenly filled with the familiar chirping sound of electricity. She saw Sasuke-kun perform a Chidori technique a few times before, and she knew how deadly and dangerous it was—even if it was intended for the enemy. Seconds later, she saw two of their attackers flew into the air—screaming in pain as Kakashi's technique found its target.

Grabbing a kunai on each hand from a weapon holster attached on her leg, she aimed and threw. It was with the intention of distracting her two opponents for even just a second or two. They were keeping her on the move, thus making it hard for her to do a rotation. Gentle fists techniques need firm stances, and to do that, she has to stop.

But she can't stop for they were intent on keeping her moving from one place to another. She even suspects that they were doing it on purpose, knowing that palm and fist techniques were the strongest forms for Hyugas. Her kunai hit one Shinobi on the knee, making him curl on the ground as the sudden pain disabled his knee joint. But his comrade was still on the go. He countered by throwing another set of shuriken stars but she avoided them easily.

"Twin Lion's Fist!" She saw her chance and planted both of feet firmly on the ground. Bending her knees, she gritted her teeth as the familiar sensation of hot and fluid chakra began to build on her fists. Her opponent took a step involuntarily, as if he was surprised that a weak looking girl was able to do such a powerful technique. A second later, he growled, pulled out a senbon, and attacked her head on. Guess he was still underestimating her…

They were then engaged in a series of kicks and punches.

Hinata's fists against his blade.

Blue chakra against cold steel.

As she kicked her attacker on the gut, Hinata tried to detect Kakashi's location with her Byakugan. His five opponents were now down to one. The others were on the ground, bleeding and almost to the point of death. She saw him gave his last opponent a finishing blow and she sighed.

He was alright…and unharmed. Even if he was the famous copy ninja, she still can't help not to feel worry since he was outnumbered.

In a last, desperate attempt, her attacker—who was now sorting a busted lip—pulled a shuriken star and threw it. The way he stayed unmoving on the ground, breathing hard and whizzing, she knew that he can't stand up to save his life. She managed to hit his chakra points and blocked his chakra from flowing. It was an accomplishment on his part to throw that shuriken when paralysis was already starting to take place in his body.

Hinata knew that she could dodge it even without the help of her chakra. So she willed her legs to just simply get out of the way.

But to her shock, her legs won't move.

Looking down, she saw something creeping up to her feet and to her legs. The feeling was similar to the way Nara Shikamaru uses his shadow manipulation techniques. Shikamaru tried it on her once when they sparred that one time in training ground sixteen.

Only it was not a shadow that traps her in place.

Knowing that she won't be able to move away or use her chakra on time, she raised her hand to cover her face from the shuriken. It was so near she could hear its whistling sound. It was going to hurt—she was sure—so she closed her eyes in anticipation.

She heard a grunt.

Opening her eyes, she came face to face with Hatake Kakashi. His sharingan was still spinning and he was looking straight into her wide, frightened eyes. "K-Kakashi-san!" He was facing her, so she knew where the shuriken landed.

On his back.

Without a word, he turned his face away from her and looked at the man who threw the shuriken to her. He could have used his sharingan to move the blade into another dimension but he won't take the risk because it was already too near Hinata. The sharingan might end swallowing her up to. So he did that most logical thing and shielded her from the weapon.

"Sharingan!" He doesn't want to kill the thrower for he still needs to question him. This was a serious breach of treaty if they really came from the mist with their Kage's permission. The man's eyes rolled back to their sockets as his consciousness left him, making him curl on the grass. After he was sure that no one else was after them, he looked down on Hinata's feet and clicked his tongue. There was a transparent liquid forming on her feet.

"Water lock jutsu." Kakashi said. "He locked your feet with it to make you stay in place." He saw the water was already wrapping Hinata's upper legs and when he transferred his gaze to her face, he saw that her eyes were big with panic.

"It's…It's moving up Kakashi-san." She grabbed her sleeve and he put a reassuring hand above her own. "It's moving up my waist." Hinata knew that if it keeps on going like that, she would be drowned. She knew about this jutsu. It was going too crept up until the victim was trapped inside a ball of water.

"I can unlock it." Kakashi assured her.

"But water lock techniques take time…five minutes less." So she has her fair share of knowledge about these kinds of things. Oh right…he remembered. The girl was a water element user too. "I can't hold my breath that long Kakashi-san!"

Now the water has creeping to her neck.

"Take a deep breath and hold it." He told her. "I won't let anything happen to you so trust me okay?"

She nodded, locking eyes with him. He could see the fear etched in her pale face and her eyes were almost pleading. "I…I trust you. Kakashi-san." She took a lungful of air and closed her mouth shut, just as the water began to envelop her face.

Without wasting any time, Kakashi kneeled. Now this was the tricky part. He needs to look for the source of water and stop it. It was a trial and error process. It was not easy but not impossible either. Performing hand seals that were more of a blurry because he was doing it so fast, he slammed his fist on the ground.

Nothing.

_Trial one._

He performed hand seals again, changing a few combinations then slammed his fist on the ground for the second time.

_Trial two._

Gritting his teeth, he looked at the girl that was trapped inside the large orb of water. She was holding her neck with one hand, eyes shut and long curtain of hair covering half of her face. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead then repeated the same process.

_Trial three._

"Shit." He muttered. He was not usually a cursing person but this time, he thought that he has all the reason to do so.

_Trial Four._

Kakashi stood up from his position and removed his mask off his face. Now this was another fact about water lock techniques. The victim can't get out of it if the source was not blocked from the root…but that doesn't mean that those from the outside cannot enter. The jutsu was actually preferred for interrogation purposes. People trapped inside can't get out—for the water was holding a part of one's body as "hostage". In Hinata's case, it was her feet.

But the people outside can go in and out of the water orb as they please.

That's why it was considered as a one man death trap.

Hinata's lungs were burning and she feared that she can't hold it much longer. She closed her eyes shut but she was starting to see flashing lights. It felt like she was about to lose consciousness. Was she going to die by drowning? It was not her preferred way to go but—

A hand grabbed her neck and she opened her eyes.

It was Kakashi. She wasn't able to feel it but he somehow dove into the water trap and was now floating in front of her without a mask. Looking at his eyes with question, she felt his other hand tilt her chin up. Even if her mind was screaming oxygen, she can't help but noticed that her heart began to skip.

It seems like she knew what he was about to do.

And she was right.

The copy ninja lowered his head and trapped her lips into her own. His eyes were just looking at her big, white ones. No slip of emotion whatsoever. She herself cannot keep her own gaze away from his mismatched eyes and even if she was inside a cold water orb, she can't help but feel her cheeks getting hotter.

_The copy ninja just took her first kiss…_

Kakashi blew air inside her mouth and she thankfully used it to ease her burning lungs. He continued it a few times then gave her shoulder a squeeze. After that, he leaped out of the orb. When he landed on the ground, he was dripping wet and his face was well schooled. He kneeled again and repeated his hand seals.

A few more tries and on his tenth attempt, bluish light appeared from the ground. Kakashi knew that he found the water source so he gave her a thumbs up before standing up and waited for the water lock to disappear so that Hinata could be free from her watery prison.

Only he was mistaken. It did not disappear. It burst.

The next thing he knew, he was knocked on the ground when a flying Hyuga landed on him in full force. He landed on his back with the girl on top of him. She was coughing and shaking and he sighed.

This was awkward.

Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back. He was not on the mood to move from his position right now. For the first time in many years, he actually felt drained, mentally and physically. The girl seems a bit shaken to realize that she was practically lying on top of him so he preferred to be quiet.

He heard a gasp and the Hyuga scrambled off him. "Kakashi-san!"

"Yo."

"Are you alright?" He saw her wet face peering at him. There was a pinkish flush on her face and he wondered if it was the result of what he did. To his defense, he did it to give her air…and not for some perverted reasons like the hero of Icha-Icha harem always does.

"Yeah." He closed his sharingan eye.

"I…I saw a shuriken hit you. Please let me heal it." She tugged on his green vest so he propped himself on a sitting position. When their eyes met, she looked away from him. Silently, she transferred position so that she was behind him. "Please remove your vest. It's bleeding."

He complied.

He can feel her rolling his black shirt up and soft fingers touched the area where he felt a slight pain. He sighed again, this time he has no idea why. As she began to heal his wound, he looked around and saw that the men who ambushed them were still on the ground. He was sure that he killed some of them. He doesn't want to but their intention was to kill.

Better them than _her_.

"Arigatou." He heard a soft voice behind him. "Arigatou Kakashi-san. You're hurt because of me."

"You're welcome." His mind drifted back to how soft her lips felt. It has been seventeen years since he…oh damnit. "And don't blame yourself. That's what comrades do."

"Yeah." She smiled faintly. What Kakashi did have shaken her—she got to admit—but he did it to save her life. When she said that she trusted him, she really meant it. She knew that he won't let anything happen to her if he said so.

Being with Hatake Kakashi made her feel safe.

Awkward at times…but safe.

(f)_ Hinata looked at the miso soup that was laid in front of her. On the opposite side of the table, Kakashi was eating—with his mask on—and was pretending that she doesn't exist. It was her first week staying at his apartment and she was still feeling extremely awkward._

_She cleared her throat. "Ano…Kakashi-sens—." She stopped and bit her tongue. "Kakashi-kun."_

_He looked at her with his blank stare. For a moment, she was actually expecting for a lazy smile and a "Yo" but then remembered that it was not Kakashi-sensei she was talking to…but younger Kakashi._

_Young and different Hatake Kakashi._

"_I…I…"_

"_Spit it out." He said impassively it almost reminds her of Sasuke Uchiha. They would get along well if Sasuke was born a little earlier._

"_I…I am allergic to miso soup. Gomenasai."_

"_Then don't eat it." He continued eating and did not even offer her alternative food. With a sigh, she looked at the miso with a pang of hunger. She really wanted to eat but…_

_Her hand reached the glass of water and she gulped it down. Guess she was going to fill herself with water tonight just to escape from hunger. She remembered those times when she was on missions; she experienced hunger for days when they ran out of food in areas that were too far for to avail some._

_She can survive this one night. She experienced far worse—_

"_Stupid, I did not say you can't eat anything. I only said not to eat the miso." He told her like she was really, really stupid when he saw her gulping the glass of water. "Find something inside the cupboards. You have feet and hands so use them."_

"_Oh…r-right."_

_That night, she slept on the cold, hard floor. She tried to close her eyes but images of her friends and family began to appear inside her mind. She was starting to get teary eyed so she gave up on the idea of sleep and just stared blankly at the ceiling._

_She wanted to return back to her time so bad…it felt like her heart was being crushed._

"_Obito…Rin."_

_Hinata's head snapped to Kakashi's bed. It was his voice, and it seems like the young Hatake was sleep talking._

"_Rin…I'm sorry."_

_Slowly rising up to a seating position, she peered at him. He still has his mask on—as expected—and was sweating. His hands were balled into fists and his body stiff. Hinata was tempted to wake him up but hesitated for he might do something to her. He was scary in a way and she doesn't want to be under his wrath. She has a feeling that this was a moment of vulnerability and she should not be hearing this._

"_Don't leave me Rin…"_

_Edging nearer to the bed, she finally found her courage to stand up and touch his arm. "Kakashi—"_

_A hand reaches for her arm and she was pulled down. With dread, she realized that he was embracing her and his face was on her neck. She could feel his body molding against hers and she thought that he was really going to strangle her when he wakes up._

"_I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I failed…I'm sorry I failed." The arms around her tightened._

_Was he crying…?_

"_K-kakashi-kun…"_

_The mismatched eyes opened. One was dark and the other was blood red. "What the…"_

"_Kakashi-kun…p-please let me go. I can't breathe." _(f)

-o-o-o-

_Here ends the chapter. Please review!_

_-crazygurl12_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Sumiko808**__: Hahaha…Queen if cliffhangers? That made me smile. *hugs*_

_Btw…I made a mistake. Kakashi was not supposed to be twenty nine. He was fifteen when Hinata time traveled…and now Hinata was seventeen going to eighteen. So Kakashi's age should be thirty one or thirty two…even thirty three. (I already edited the past chaps so he was thirty one.) Thank you for the reviewer who mentioned it._

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in Naruto. All credits belong to the great Kishimoto-sama._

-o-o-o-

Chapter Eleven

"They are not from Kiri. They are Impostors." Kakashi pulled out a kunai from his weapon pouch as he hovered over the last survivor of their attackers. It was the same man who locked Hinata in a water jutsu and the one who threw the kunai that hit him on the back. He has been interrogated by the copy ninja and after receiving a few illusions from the Sharingan, he blurted out that he was from the snow country and was trying to eliminate both of them because they don't want any competition on the way to Kali.

They were also after the healing flower.

"You should not have ambushed us. It wouldn't have come to this. We are not even a threat to you." Kakashi said, eyes cold. "And you almost killed _her_."

The man's eyes were wide with fear. "We didn't know you were the copy ninja. We have no idea that you are Hatake Kakashi."

"It's not my fault."

"I just followed the captain's orders." The man almost pleaded. "We have no choice since we are under his command. Half of the men didn't want to attack you…especially when they saw the girl." He glanced at the dripping woman standing next to the Hatake. She was looking at him with restrained emotion, unlike the copy nin who was obviously reeking with murderous intent.

Kakashi's hand rose with the kunai. No matter what the Shinobi says, everyone knew that it was one of the rules to always finish an attacker or enemy while you can. It was just too much risk to let an enemy go. He might go back and bring reinforcements that could lead to more deaths. He might even follow them again and lock them both with individual water prisons and it would be the end of them. "You know...you are about to die but you are still lying."

With a strike that would obviously bring death, it landed on the man's chest with a dull piercing sound.

Hinata looked away, her stomach churning. Death always accompanies the work of a ninja, and she has almost seventeen years to put that inside her mind. She knew what Kakashi did was right. It was the most reasonable thing to do and she didn't even dare to stop him.

But still…that doesn't mean she has to like it.

"He's lying."Kakashi said when he straightened up. He threw the bloody kunai on the grass and pocketed his hands. They were still wet along with their packs so it was of no use if they change clothes. They have to wait for the sun and air to dry them up. "All those please were lies." Hinata was silent so he looked at her.

"I know Kakashi-san." She picked up her pack and slung it behind her. "If they were after the Kanaki flower, they should be wearing their own standard uniform. Not some kind of disguise. It o-only means that…" She shuddered; she was starting to feel cold. When she looked at him, she saw that he was amused at her remark. It made her a little nervous, like she was answering some kind of test. "It only means that they have a different reason. Maybe to break the treaty with Kiri."

"But you are not pleased with their deaths…am I right?"

"Hai. It has to be done…b-but I still hate deaths."

They continued on their way but not before making sure that no evidence that would lead to Konoha was left behind. They did not touch any dead body though, or hid them. They left them in that small clearing so that if they have a few comrades near the area, they could be seen and brought back to their respected families or towns.

Hinata sighed. She was really hoping that those men would have a proper burial. Even if they were trying to kill her and Kakashi, she knew that as Shinobi, they were just following orders. Besides, life is precious. It can never be replaced by anything. Letting out a long breath, she tilted he head and looked at the older jounin.

She looked at him and saw that he was looking distressed.

An image of a Kakashi pressing his lips against her own appeared inside her mind and she gave an involuntary squeak. Cheeks hot, she blinked and tried to shake the image out of her head before taking a deep long breath. _Good lord_. He did it to help her get some air so she must not ponder too hard about it. She must think professionally and admit that even if it was really unexpected and awkward, she has to consider it as part of her work and—

_But his lips felt so warm._ An inner voice somewhere in the darkest part of her mind said._ His lips felt so warm and soft and he was so handsome and hot—_

_Oh my god._

Hinata almost hit her face with her own gentle fist. Did she really just think that Hatake Kakashi was…hot?

It was so wanton and so wrong in all levels. Yes, she knew deep inside that what Kakashi did was a mere part of work and nothing else. Unfortunately, her lips never touched anyone's lips before so her brain has a hard time registering what happened, thus, may be the reason why weird and improper thoughts kept on entering inside her head.

Yeah. That could be it.

"Hey." A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped back.

"Kakashi-san…" She managed as she tried to compose herself. He was looking at her like something was wrong so she gave him a smile. However, it seems like he has seen the worry behind the cover of her smile and his uncovered eye narrowed in question.

"Anything….wrong?"

She shook her head. "I think I am the one who needs to ask you that Kakashi-san. You looked worried about something." She avoided his gaze. He has his mask on again and she was glad that his droopy, uncovered eye was not searching. She feared that if he looked at her closely enough, he may guess what was bothering her. "I saw you…looking disturbed."

"You are right. I am actually disturbed about two things right now. Oh wait, make that three." Kakashi was observing the Hyuga by the side of his eye. She was matching each of his long strides by two of her steps so he slowed a bit so that they were walking side by side. When their shoulders touched, he felt her slipped back a little.

"Three things?" He heard her ask, her voice small.

"Yeah. First, my Icha-Icha harem book is wet and that was a hardbound copy. It is a rare one. Jaraiya-san gave it to me specially."

He heard him giggle softly and he considered it as a good sign to proceed. "Second. I am worried that you may think of me as a bastard."

The smile vanished."W-why?"

"Because I finished all of them. The snow ninjas."

The girl shook her head, her hands matching the action. "N-no Kakashi-san. I understand why you have to do that. As a Kunoichi, I know the consequences if you let them live." Her eyes looked up to him and he held her gaze. Now that he was looking at her white orbs, he noticed that they were almost sparkling in daylight. "I h-hate killing…I really do. I really feel bad for that snow Shinobi but…" She sighed. "But sometimes, it has to be done."

"Ah."

"And may I know the third reason that disturbs you…?"

His droopy eye became impassive. It was best to school his emotions first before saying what was inside his mind. "The third is about what happened inside the wat—"

"I completely understand and Arigatou. It saved me from d-drowning." With those words she looked away, not knowing that it confirmed the copy ninja's suspicion that she was still uneasy about it. Of course he could just say that they have kissed before, and it happened a few times actually. Yeah, he could tell her something like _"You know, we kissed before in a time that you were not supposed to be in so no need to be that awkward around me."_

Then he could as well drown himself in the ocean. "Okay…" He shrugged like it was of no big thing. But hell…he never thought that he could feel those soft lips again. With a mental sigh, he reached out for his pocket and pulled out his wet and tattered Icha-Icha book. The pages were torn and crumpled and there was no way that he could read it in its pitiful state. With a heavy heart, he threw the orange book and promised to buy himself a new copy. He was nearing its end and he was a little eager to find out who was Tesda'a baby daddy.

Hinata walked in silence. She was just step behind from the older man and preferred to keep it that way. Biting the inside of her cheek, she tried to forget the tingling sensation on her lips. She can still feel the kiss…and with his presence so near, it was not helping her even in the slightest bit.

Then she remembered a conversation that she has with Ino and Sakura a few months ago.

"_You know who's hot?" Ino fanned herself as she looked at the other two with suspense. She loves dragging things just to make it more dramatic. Ino was funny that way. They were discussing flowers, ninja work, and it suddenly ended in the topic of the male population when Sakura asked if Ino has her eyes set on her former teammate, Sai._

_Of course, being the bubbly girl that she was, Ino admits, but it also led for her to open a few subtopics like who are the other hot bachelors in Konoha._

"_Who?" Sakura took a sip of her cold juice as she focused her attention to the blonde._

"_Kakashi-sensei!" Ino smiled giddily. "That body and that reputation…my, it's a turn on."_

_Hinata blinked owlishly at the Yamanaka while Sakura—Kakashi's student for years by the way—coughed and gagged as the juice entered the wrong way. Ino was still smiling like she said the most obvious information to them._

"_Ino-pig. He's old." Sakura looked aghast. "Oh…in case you forgot. He is my instructor and team captain."_

"_So?" The Yamanaka crossed her arms. "He is not that old. What is he, thirty five or something?"_

"_Thirty one." Sakura rolled her eyes. "Sure he has a body to die for…and I really suspect that he is handsome under that mask. But Ino, he is our senior and don't you think it's a bit awkward if we think of him that way?"_

_Hinata watched the two girls argue while she pondered upon what Ino said. Kakashi Hatake, the man who kept saving her when she was a kid. She has never seen much of him these days unlike the other jounins like Gai and Iruka. She heard rumors that Kakashi was Lady Tsunade's favorite Shinobi because he never fails on missions. That may be the reason why she kept him on S and A class missions all the time._

"_That mask is a turn on too." Ino giggled and elbowed Sakura playfully. "Come on…you were always with him on missions. You have seen him without clothes on right?"_

_Sakura gasped, Hinata squeaked._

"_Oh come on forehead…" Ino prodded. "Have you?"_

"_I did…when I have to heal him." Now the pink haired Haruno was blushing—blushing—and she began to stammer. "B-but I…as I said, I NEVER thought of it that way. I am not like you Ino!."_

_Ino huffed. "In denial. You never blush Sakura. I am not saying that you are in love with him. I am just saying that he has a great body and women—"Her eyes drifted to the Haruno's chest. "You are a woman by the way, in case you forget because of that size. As I said, women—"_

"_Ino you pig!" Sakura was fuming and Hinata was having a hard time keeping her at bay. Sakura's strength matches with Tsunade's, and what could a simple Byakugan user could do? Except that she has to block her chakra points if she chose to go berserk._

"_As I said…" Ino continued, unfazed. "Women are always attracted to men who are strong, mysterious, older, and experienced." She each pointed at her fingers with every description. "And Kakashi has all those qualities."_

_Hinata smiled nervously. Sakura was still furious and it seems like Ino was just starting her little lecture about men. However, when the Yamanaka's gaze landed on her, she knew that she was now the subject of trouble. "Hinata-chan. How about you? Kakashi-sensei is hot don't ya think?"_

"_Ano…"Her face heated up. Like what Sakura said, she never thought of the copy ninja that way. But now that the Yamanaka mentioned about it, she can't help thinking what a half-naked Kakashi looks like._

"_Yes…?" Ino raised an eyebrow. "Don't be shy Hina."_

"_He is—"_

"We must head east and forget the original plans. It would be faster…but harder." Kakashi said, not knowing that he just pulled the girl out of her thoughts. "If those dead bodies were found, they would assume that we used this way because it was too obvious."

Hinata blinked. "_Hot."_

Kakashi stopped on his tracks and looks back at her. She was looking puzzled too, like she was wondering what the word that came out of her mouth means, or if it really did came out at all. Raising an eyebrow, he looked at her curiously. "What's hot Hinata-chan?" What confused him more was that Hinata's eyes suddenly widened and she covered her mouth in panic. "Uhm…are you okay?"

She nodded her head.

"Are you sure…?"

"H-hai."

"What's hot then?" Kakashi asked.

"_You_….I mean…I…I mean…No." She looked at him helplessly.

Kakashi suddenly smiled and there was a mischievous glint in his lazy looking eye. "You really think I'm hot?" Then he left it at that and continued to lead the way. The girl looked stunned and she almost has the urge to bury herself on the ground that she was standing. Sometimes, a girl just can't help making a mess out of things…really.

That night, Hinata has been extra careful with her words. Mostly, she remained quiet and let the copy ninja lead her. They camped and worked in a synchronized kind of way that it made her feel better that they were actually working like a team…and a good team they are.

No one mentioned anything about the snow ninjas for it was like a black fog threatening to build up uneasiness between them. Sure, there were moments that she can't stop herself thinking about them—which resulted to labored breathing and cold sweat. But she knew that can do nothing about it. It has been done.

It was their life on the line anyway…and she can't blame the copy nin for choosing their own.

Kakashi has also been right about the harder path when they chose to take a different direction. The next day, they left the comfort and shade of the forest to exchange it with an open dirt road with sharp rocks that constantly hurts their feet. The road was jagged and it looks abandoned. The sun was also hot on their backs and their water supply has greatly diminished. Her only consolation was that it's a faster way to their destination and it would cover their tracks well.

But by late afternoon, it seems like their lucks have changed.

Hinata was about to collapse by exhaustion when they heard a loud sound of flapping wings. Looking up, she almost screamed in relief when she saw Sai's ink bird and the former root Anbu was riding on it. Seconds later, she realized with dread that she could only see him because her Byakugan was activated, and Sai—even if he looked down—won't be able to see them. He was too high.

Well, maybe he could…but as small, insignificant dots.

Kakashi on the other hand, pulled out a kunai and aimed at the bird. A little later, the giant ink bird disappeared into a puff of white smoke and Sai landed on the ground seconds after that. The pale Anbu looked surprised, and he blinked when he saw their relieved faces. Sai's hand was already holding a katana, thinking that the kunai that got his bird came from an enemy.

"Kakashi-san…Hyuga-san." Sai looked at them impassively but Hinata knew he was bewildered. "I thought you were…attackers. There are nins roaming this forest and they were deceiving the travelers by wearing different Shinobi uniforms of villages. I almost fell on one of their traps."

Kakashi pocketed his gloved hands. "You are too far to reach with a shout and you can't see us down. Well, you can but you won't recognize us by the distance so I have to do that…and we know about those nins. We encountered some on the way too. They were trying to trick us into believing that they were from Kiri."

"I see." Sai nodded his head. "I just finished a mission and I am on my way back to Konoha." He pulled out a brush and a scroll from his pocket. "I assume you need something from me?"

"Yeah." The copy nin looked at Hinata, who in return smiled. They both knew what they wanted and there was no need for words. "We are still on a mission and we need something that could help us on the way."

Sai nodded thoughtfully as he kneeled on the rocky ground. Unrolling the scroll, he produced a large piece of parchment and he began to draw with fast, easy strokes. "I can help with that."

-o-

Hinata never knew that she would enjoy flying this much.

Sai generously painted them a giant ink bird and they are now soaring to their destination. She was a little nervous at first, for she never rode on of these things before. Smiling to herself, she closed her eyes and let the air play with her hair and face. Oh, and they didn't just get a free ride, Sai has also given them a few provisions of food. He won't need them anyway; he was on his way home.

When she opened her eyes again, she caught the Hatake was looking at her stoically. They both looked away at the same time and both wondered why they did that. It was so…childish.

"Your feet looks…bruised." The copy nin broke the silence and she looked back at him, her own eyes following his gaze to her feet. Her sandals were in a sorry state and she gave him a shrug. "It's the sharp rocks." Now that she was thinking about it, her feet hurt.

"Why don't you remove you sandals so I could see your feet?" Kakashi edged closer and shifted his position so that he was totally facing her. She did, and both of them looked surprised when they saw broken nails, scratches and reddish spots. The copy nin gave her a look as to say _'What the hell have you been doing?'_ but she remained silent and tried to ease the soreness by massaging it with her hands.

"Let me." Kakashi pulled something out of his pack and he unrolled it on his lap. It was a rolled bandage. Taking one of her foot without her permission, he placed it on his leg and began to wrap it with the soft cloth. She watched closely as his calloused but gentle hands tend to her bruises and cuts.

Her cheeks turned hot and she lowered her head to keep her blush from his view. "Ano…" She tried to strike a conversation. "How's your back Kakashi-san?" Uncovered eye still focused on her foot, he sighed.

"Still aching…and you still owe me a massage."

She smiled wearily, remembering the promise she made. She knew that she will go back on her words, but thinking about massaging the copy nin's back makes her a little…anxious. "Yeah…I reme—"

'_**You cannot defy time for me Hinata.'**_

She stopped in mid-sentence and looked around. Did she hear something just now? "Ano…Kakashi-san. Did you say something?" She asked, face frowning.

"No." He started tending her other foot.

She frowned. She was almost sure that he heard his voice. "I thought I heard something…I guess it's just in my min—" When she looked at his face again, she gasped and removed her foot from Kakashi's leg and she hastily backed away from him—or what used to be him.

Eyes wide with surprise and confusion, she pulled out a kunai from her weapon holster and pointed the blade at the young man who has taken Kakashi's place.

He was not with Kakashi anymore…On Kakashi's place, was a young Anbu with the same silver hair as the Hatake. He was wearing an Anbu mask and one red eye was glowing. _Not this hallucinations again_.

The poison has been out of her system days ago, and she was almost sure that this was not a side effect anymore.

It felt so real and she has to believe that it was real.

'_**You will forget about me…but I will always remember you Hinata.'**_

Hatake Kakashi watched in surprise as Hinata points her kunai near his face. He was silently tending her foot when she suddenly backed away from him like a frightened animal. Raising his hands up, he straightened himself and frowned. Her eyes were glossy and unfocused and she was looking at him like he was a different person. "Where is Kakashi-san?" She asked and it only made him more puzzled. "Stop playing with my mind."

"I am Kakashi." He slowly reached out to her. The girl was tense and she was losing her focused on trying to maintain the flow of chakra on her feet. They were using chakra to glue their feet on the bird's back so there was a chance that she might fall if she was not careful. "What's wrong Hinata-chan?"

"Don't step any closer." She warned. "I won't h-hesitate to—"Her eyes widened in surprise when the Anbu vanished from her vision and in a flash, he was standing behind her. She tried to wheel around but he gripped her hand and an arm wrapped around her neck, steadying her.

"Hinata-chan. It's me." Kakashi let her drop the kunai as she tried to wriggle herself free. He heard him gasp when he trapped her with his arms so that she won't have the crazy notion of jumping or pushing him away. He could feel her shaking and her breaths were labored. "What's wrong?"

"Let me go…_Anbu_." Hinata gritted her teeth as she felt an unexpected pain on her head. It was so sudden that she stopped struggling and just stood still—the Anbu's arms still around her—and closed her eyes. "Let me go…Anbu." She almost whispered.

The girl's knees suddenly buckled and Kakashi caught her when she collapsed. Bewildered, he tried to process what just happened and he looked at as gloved his hand brushed away hair from her cheeks. Unconsciously, he touched her pale cheek and frowned.

_She called him Anbu_

When Hinata opened her eyes, she was lying on a bed made of dried leaves and straw. Her back feels strained and her knees were shaky. Looking around, she touched her forehead and she grimaced. The last thing she remembered before passing out was a young Anbu trapping her in his arms. Kakashi was nowhere in sight so she panicked—expecting it to be some kind of trap from an enemy nin.

Then everything went black and the next thing she knew, here she was.

She jumped back with a start when Kakashi suddenly materialized beside her. He must have been tree leaping for she wasn't able to see or sense him. Taking a deep breath, she almost collapsed again with relief. For a moment there, she thought that she has been kidnapped or something.

"Kakashi-san…" She murmured, wondering what he has been up to. She propped herself into a sitting position and she regretted it instantly. It seems like her body was still strained and still wants to lie down. On the copy nin's hands, she saw a bunch of wild flowers and a few herbs. She recognized them to have healing properties.

"For your feet." He said. "It's going to make a good healing salve."

"Oh…" She wanted to ask him what happened, wanting to ask him who was the Anbu that has silver hair just like him. Was he an enemy? Why does she keep on seeing him like a hallucination? And every time it happens, it looks like it was getting more and more real.

And where was he when that mysterious Anbu appeared?

"Kakashi-san…how long?"

"Just a day." The man seated himself beside her. He was close enough that their shoulders touched. He began to crumple the leaves on a rolled bandage. His aura was different. Gone was the lazy slouch and gone was the easy smile. He was serious and…tense? She doesn't know why but she beginning to get nervous.

"Kakashi-san." She found her voice, but it came out so small and high pitched. "What happened to me while were…above grounds?"

"You collapsed. It seems like the sun and fatigue has taken its toll on you." He answered, now shifting his position so that he could reach her dirty feet. He worked first on the right foot, wrapping it carefully with the white cloth. "And…it seems like you hallucinated."

"Hallucinated..." She repeated dumbly. She thought what happened up there was real. She really did…because it felt so real to her.

"And…you kept pointing your kunai at me."

Her eyes widened. "Gomenasai!" Really…she was not thinking straight. Shaking her head, she felt the stinging sensation of the tears that were about to come. The whole time in this mission, she has not done a single thing to be of help to Kakashi. He was the one who kept saving her and doing all the hard work. She can't even stand against two snow nins and not be trapped into a water jutsu. Really…she was pathetic. "Gomenasai…Gomenasai sensei."

Kakashi hands stopped for a second. "I told you not to call me sensei Hinata-chan."

"Gomenansai." She can't help but apologize. The unease and awkwardness was so thick she was afraid that it might choke her. She was already having a hard time breathing and the knowledge about her hallucinations just unnerves her.

"What did you see?" He asked, facing her. "What did you saw that made you so scared that you fainted Hinata-chan?"

Hinata's lips quivered, trying to hold down a sob. Was the kind jounin angry at her? Angry at her incompetence and _weirdness_? What she was about to say might make him think that she's insane. But the cat's out of the bag so she has no choice but to tell him the truth. He would know if she lied. "I…I saw an Anbu. A silver haired Anbu."

Kakashi frowned.

"I-It started when you fainted because of the poison. I saw the Anbu…but maybe my brain was messed up because of the drug…because when I looked at his face, I saw you Kakashi-san…I saw your younger self." She lowered her gaze. "T-then I saw it again when we were in the cave when I'm taking first watch. At first, I thought it was the side effects of poison so I kept these hallucinations to myself."

"That's when you told me you saw a snake."

"Gomenasai…I lied."

Kakashi was silent and then he continued to tend to her feet, his hands expertly wrapping the bandage on the bruised area. He was really disturbed about what Hinata said. Why was she seeing his younger self? It doesn't make sense. If it was about the time travel thing in the past, he remembered Minato saying that she will forget everything.

No…it doesn't make any bit of sense.

"Hinata-chan…" He said softly. "Stop crying."

The girl just covered her face with her hands. "I know I am a burden Kakashi-san…Gomenasai. B-but please bear with me. My father won't hear the end of it. Compared to you…I am n-nothing but a naïve—and I am not mad Kakashi-san."

"You are not a burden." He told her, hands still on her feet. "And I am glad that you are my partner in this mission…and you are not mad. It's just fatigue, dehydration and the heat."

"Demo…"

He smiled—still wary—but smiled. "You are a good Kunoichi…and I don't want you thinking low things about yourself. When I am very tired, I sometimes see things that aren't there. It's normal."

"B-but are you angry with me?"

He shook his head and looked at her. "No." He reached out and patted her blue mess of a head. Her eyes were still wet with tears so he wiped it with his fingers. "I could never be angry with you…worried like hell. But not angry." His fingers lingered a little bit longer than they were supposed to and for a second, his eye landed on her pink lips. Unconsciously, his finger trailed down and touched it, tracing the curves—until he caught himself and he removed his hand hastily like he just touched fire.

He mentally cursed.

Hinata blinked at him owlishly and he cleared his throat.

Damnit…he slipped. "Kali is a just a few miles from here by the way." He changed the subject as she continued to stare at him. It seems like she was puzzled about what happened just seconds ago so he decided to give her a little distance by subtly shifting his position so that he was not touching any part of her body except her foot—which he was still tending. "We have reached our destination Hinata-chan."

-o-o-o-

_Here ends the chapter._

_I am so excited to start the next chapter! I have so much in mind and things are about to get messy. Lol…_

_Please review…and sorry for the typos or grammar errors. I reread and edited this chap a few times but I can't see all the errors. You can point them out though…and I would gladly edit._

_-crazygurl12_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Kibachow**__: You're welcome! Thank you for always reading my fanfictions…thank you for keeping up with me since the Uchiha's Bride. *hugs*_

_**Tamani**__: Thank you for correcting some errors _

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Twelve

Hinata and Kakashi exchanged looks before they stepped into the large gate. They were sure that there would be guards waiting to interrogate them of their intentions in the other side of the large wooden wall but they were prepared. They were briefed about it anyway and Kakashi has accompanied Sakura here last year so it was not new to him.

"So this is Kali…" Hinata muttered to herself as she looked around the tall gates. Next to her, Kakashi has his hands inside his pockets and was slouching. After that weird conversation in the forest not far from here, they have made some kind of unspoken agreement that they were going to forget about everything that happened in there for the meantime and focused on the mission.

And so both of them acted like nothing happened and no one even dared to bring it up again, though she was still really embarrassed that she cried in front of the older man like a kid. She must have looked so funny…but at that time, she just could not help herself.

Without a word, Kakashi took her arm. Her feet were feeling better but it was hard to walk with thick bandages inside her sandals so she can't help but limp. She was grateful for his help so she muttered a soft thank you and he answered with a simple "Hn."

The guards seem to recognize Kakashi so they let them into the gates without much drama like she expected. A few questions here and there and they lead them to the Daimyo who was in charge of running Kali. Now that she was inside the town and can see its state, Hinata can't help but be impressed. The town maybe small but the buildings and houses were well preserved and strongly built.

While they walked the streets with two guards behind them, they can't help but attract the local's attention especially with their different clothing style. They were quite filthy by the way, and it seems like Kali's dress code was much different from Konoha. As Hinata have observed, Kali women mostly wear robe-like dresses that ends just below their knees, men on the other hand wear robes but with pants underneath.

She also observed that people were looking at them with interest, but it seems like they were used to a lot of travelers stopping by their town because after a short while, they just shrugged off their curiosity and continued whatever they were doing.

"Uhm…" One of the guards started. "Please don't mind my asking but…what happened to her?" He pointed at Hinata's feet. "She looks like she was having a hard time walking."

"You think?" Kakashi smiled behind the mask but it did not reached his eyes.

"Yeah." The guard scratched his head and his eyes landed on Hinata. He smiled then, showing her two adorable dimples. Hinata answered his nice smile with a polite one and to her surprise, the guard blushed and he looked down on the ground while looking so shy. It reminded her of a twelve year old kid.

A twelve year old kid who has seen his crush and she found it actually cute.

"Uhm…What's your na—"The guard started but Kakashi cuts him off by narrowing his eye when he thought Hinata was not looking. He found his action rather childish but he reasoned that he was doing the Hyuga a favor by keeping annoying men off her. As her partner and the senior jounin, he kind of put himself as her unofficial guardian.

Or that was what he makes himself believe.

"Baka." One of the guards—the more mature-looking one—said and nudged his partner. "Do not act like an idiot especially if her uncle is with her." It was spoken like a whisper, but with their heightened senses, both Konohans could hear the words just as clear as a shout. Kakashi's cheek twitched while Hinata looked down in embarrassment.

"Am I that old looking…?" The Hatake muttered under his breath and Hinata giggled lightly. The way he said the words, she wondered if he was pouting behind that thin cloth. To make the Hatake feel better, she shook her head and answered his question in a low voice.

"No Kakashi-san…in fact, you looked younger than your actual age."

"Really?"

"Hai."

They reached a large mansion and she guessed that it was the feudal Lord's home. It was so elegant looking that it took her breath away. The walls were painted red and gold with floral patterns that she recognized as the Kanake flower. Tsunade was right when she said something about the people of Kali being proud of the healing plant. The guards escorted them inside and in front of a strong wooden door.

Kakashi watched in silence as one of the guards knocked. He has experienced this before with Sakura-chan. It was the same process…the same procedure like last year. All guests who want to avail a healing flower must first talk to the daimyo and make a deal for the one week 'payment'. They have to discuss what should be done and what to expect. Last year, he and Sakura got cleaning duty. He hoped that it would be different this year.

"What?" A voice yelled from the inside.

"We have visitors from Konoha Yoda-sama, for the healing plant…"

"Let them in."

With a polite smile, the guard—the one who kept blushing like an idiot in Kakashi's opinion—gestured for them to enter as he pushed the door open with one hand. Hinata gave him another polite smile and Kakashi swore that he heard the man giggle.

When they stepped into the lavishly decorated room, both bowed their heads in polite greeting. There was a table in the middle and a man who was estimated to be in his forties was scribbling something on a parchment. The desk was littered with scrolls and empty bowls that it reminds the Hyuga of Tsunade's office—if you just replace the bowls with empty bottles of sake.

The man looked up and studied Kakashi with recognition, however, when his eyes landed on the pretty bluenette, he smiled and rose. "Kakashi-san. Nice seeing you again." His voice was sleek and smooth. The man was stocky and he has the physique of an athlete. He was not bad in the face either. "I assume another mission to get the healing flower?"

"Lord Yoda." Kakashi's face was reserved. He hasn't forgiven the man yet. Yoda was the one who assigned him and Sakura on a cleaning job after all. Besides, he doesn't like the way the daimyo looks at his partner. Yoda's reputation with pretty girls was very popular and Kakashi doesn't want him to lay hands on the Hyuga…not even a finger.

He knew that he should have warned Hinata before they reached Kali but he doesn't want to sound so judgmental and make the girl worry. She was so positive about this mission and he doesn't want to put any crease on it…she already has her personal problems to keep up.

Lord Yoda of Kali smiled again. "And I see that you have a different companion with you. Where's that pink haired beauty?"

"Sakura-chan was sick so she can't accompany me." Kakashi answered coolly. "Let me introduce you to my new…uhm…partner." As he said the introductions, Hinata left his side and took one step forward. She lowered her head gracefully and he can't help but notice that Yoda's eyes were…twinkling.

Twinkling? He doesn't even know how to describe it. But if there was one thing that he knew…it was that he doesn't like it. It was the same look he could always see on Jaraiya when the pervy sannin looks at Tsunade.

"I am Hyuga Hinata, Lord Yoda." The girl said. "We will be at your service for the rest of our stay here and I am glad to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine." Yoda almost cackled in glee. "Of course, I would like to ask for apology for such deal to take place before you two could get the healing flower but I can't do anything about it. It's our town law and we need to follow it." The daimyo gestured to two spare chairs placed in front of his desk. They both seated themselves and Yoda fished something out of his drawer. "And of course…" He looked at Kakashi. "Like last time…we will make a signed agreement."

Kakashi nodded and he exchanged a glance with Hinata. The girl smiled nervously and he touched her knee in reassurance subtly with a hand. They were so near he knew the daimyo won't notice. She should not look so nervous…because she was cute when she looks like that. Kakashi doesn't want Yoda to notice.

"So…" Yoda continued. "As usual, you don't need to worry for you lodging because we will take care of that."

"Ah." Kakashi nodded his head. "Great."

"So…let's discuss your one week stay? Let's just skip the other intros for I know that Kakashi-san already knows the ins and outs of our deal."Yoda cleared his throat and his eyes stole a glance at the girl. He has heard a lot about people with white eyes before but never have the chance to meet one. He got to admit that he was _mesmerized. _"Hmm…" He opened the folder and flipped a few pages. "Our available jobs…let's see."

Hinata doesn't know why, but she reached out and pokes the copy ninja by his arm. He looked at her with raised eyebrows and she mouthed: _Cleaning duty..?_

_Hopefully not. _Kakashi mouthed back but realized how silly it was because he has his masked on. So instead, he just shrugged and gave the girl another knee pat.

"Aha!" Yoda pointed at his papers. "Found one for you." After pausing a bit for dramatic effect, he grins. "One of my farmers was having a hard time tending his farmlands. His son was sick so he needs extra hands. Can you do that for me? I hope it is not degrading for Konohan ninjas."

It is, but Kakashi won't say it out loud. "Of course not."

"It's just for a week." He passes the silver haired man a paper and pen. "Please sign both of you…and you can start tomorrow for I know how far you must have traveled. I will have my guard escort you to your temporary lodging to rest."

-o-

"The room is not bad…" Hinata looked around the small room with two single-sized beds, a small table and two chairs. There was also a door that leads to a bathroom. They have been escorted by the guards and was led a few meters away from the compound where the daimyo stays. It was a small, old building that looks so out of place on Kiri's well managed and decorated houses. It even looked abandoned but none complained for it was better than nothing. It has third floors and they were instructed to stay on the first floor only.

"We stayed at the top floor last year…for every floor was occupied by Shinobi who have the same mission." Kakashi said, recalling his stay with Sakura. "It seems like we are the first to get here this year." He removed the packs off his back and placed it on the floor. "Well…I guess you never have worked in a farm or field before."

Hinata shook her head but managed a smile. "There's always a first...right Kakashi-san?"

"That's good. Positivity counts."

"Ano…why are they so…easy on us? Should they be more guarded?" She asked.

"Oh Yoda is very strict…but Sakura-chan and I did a god job last year so they kind of trust me."

"I see." She watched him pat the bed and sat on the mattress. The room was clean and she was actually thankful for that. She knew that some won't even bother. Lord Yoda seems kind enough. Hinata's eyes trailed to her feet and she tested them by moving her toes. "My feet are feeling better."

"Yeah?" Kakashi tilted his head to the side and looked at her. "Also got my fair share of medicinal knowledge you know." The girl smiled and he leaned back on the bed, putting his hands behind his neck as he closed his eyes. Man he was tired.

"Arigatou Kakashi-san."

"You're welcome." Was the lazy reply and looks like he was already dozing off.

Hinata observed the older jouins's chest as it moves with every breath. Kakashi has been very nice—not thinking that she was crazy like she expects him to when she told him the truth. He even tried his best to make her feel better. It was the best thing that she needed at that moment and she could not ask for more from the kind copy nin.

Unconsciously, Hinata's eyes slowly left his chest and crept up to his face. Even if it was half covered, she could still see the outline of a strong jaw and a proud nose.

Hatake Kakashi would be a walking chic magnet if he removed that mask she was sure.

With a pensive look on her face, Hinata leaned back on her own bed and closed her eyes. Slowly, she could feel herself being lolled to sleep by the sound of her own breathing and she sighed contentedly. Tomorrow would be the start of their real mission and she must do her best. It's the least she could to thank Kakashi for almost taking all the burden of their journey by himself.

When Hinata opened her eyes again, she was surprised to see that it was already dark. Rubbing her still sleepy orbs, she looked around to see that the Hatake was nowhere in sight. His bed was empty but his packs were piled on the bed like he has dug into it earlier.

She propped herself up and yawned. She felt good that she has taken some sleep and she felt so refreshed. Now the only thing that she needs was to take a good cold bath. Pulling her pack from under the bed, she dug in for a shirt and pants. There was a bathroom inside their room and she padded to the door that leads to it after turning on the lights.

The bathroom was small. The only things in there were an ancient looking shower and toilet bowl. A few toiletries like soap and shampoo were placed on the floor inside a small basket. Well, it was better than nothing. Turning the shower on, she tested the water and was glad that it was cold like she wanted. She began to unbutton her jacket and slipped out of her pants. The bandages around her feet followed.

The water was refreshing and she found herself enjoying the bath more than she thought she would. After cleaning the dirt and dust, and making sure that her feet were well-scrubbed, she stepped out of the shower and turned it off. Out of habit, she wiggled body and shook her head. Water sprayed everywhere.

And then she looked around for her towel—only to realize that she brought no such thing with her to the bathroom.

Slapping one hand on her forehead, she tiptoed to the bathroom door and pressed her ear if she can hear someone moving. When she heard nothing and felt no chakra signature, she unlocked the door and was about to open it but paused at the last second. Of course she cannot feel chakra signature for she was with Kakashi. He always masks his chakra and the man was like a cat when he moves. Left with no choice, she activated her Byakugan.

The room was empty, but she also saw Kakashi walking just outside the building. He was still a few meters away from the door so she figured that she could just have a go and grab her towel. She was fast and she knew she could make it back inside the bathroom even before he could put a step inside the room.

And that's what she did. Whipping past the bathroom door, she stopped on the bed and opened her pack in a flash. She still has her Byakugan on so she could still see Kakashi. He has his hands inside his pockets and was walking lazily.

Everything would have been fine if she did not saw Kakashi's body flickered then disappeared on the spot where he should have been standing. With dread, she realized that the copy nin just used his incredible speed—and of course she knew where he would appear next.

So without much of a thought, she dove under the bed just in time to see Kakashi's feet materialize on the floor.

_Goodness Kami…_ This was so not what she has in mind.

Kakashi cleared his throat and scratched his silver hair with a puzzled look on his face. He knew Hinata was under the bed, her chakra was flaring but shaky. His hand left his hair to hold his chin as he tried to think of the right words to say. "Uhm…Hinata-chan."

Hinata flinched when she heard her name.

"Uhh…what are you doing under the bed?"

Hinata's cheeks turned hot and she knew that her face would be in match with a tomato by now. Biting her lip, she wondered what to say. _Foolish…foolish Hyuga._ "Ano…K-Kakashi-san." She saw his feet moved and one knee dropped on the wooden floor. She knew he was going to bend and look so she squeaked in panic. "Kakashi-san wait! Please don't look!"

The jounin froze, getting more puzzled than he already wa. "Okay. What's wrong?"

The girl swallowed her dignity. "I'm naked."

Kakashi blinked. He must have heard wrong. "Sorry…what did you say?"

"I-Im…n-naked."

_Holy shit. _

His eyebrows rose and for a second he just stared stupidly at a small foot sticking out from under the bed. "Okay…can you tell me why you're…uhm…under the bed without clothes?"

"Ano…I just finished taking a bath and I…realized—"Hinata hesitated.

"Go on."

"That I left my towel and I was about to get it but y-you suddenly appeared K-Kakashi-san. So I have no choice but to…hide under the bed." Her voice was so small it was just above a whisper.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize…" Kakashi straightened himself and he walked toward his pack. Pulling out a towel, he dropped it on top of her feet. "Here. I'll be outside so call me after your done putting clothes on."

With a faint smile, he shook his head and closed the door behind him.

(f) _Kakashi told her that she needs to stay put and just wait for him and he'll be back shortly. He muttered something about Anbu duties so she did not try to ask anything. He won't tell her anyway. He left her near training ground twenty—the training field which was vacant at the moment._

_She just sat on the grass while playing with her fingers. It was hot and she was sweating and it made her want to remove the strip of cloth around her eyes._

_But of course she was not going to remove it._

_Out of boredom she started humming to herself. It was a gentle tune that she used to sing to Hanabi every time her little sister can't sleep at night. The memory of her sister made her sigh and she felt a pang of homesickness. She misses everyone. Literally, she was home—but just in the wrong time._

_Then she stopped humming and tilts her head back. She felt another presence and she looked around to see who it was. "Oh…" She muttered when she saw a young boy. Maybe seven or eight years of age and he was looking at her with pitch dark eyes, the very same eyes she saw in Uchiha Sasuke. "Hi…" She greeted the youngster._

"_What happened to your eyes?" He asked._

"_I'm blind."_

"_You're not."_

_The answer stunned her so she stared at the boy behind the covers of the bandages. With her Byakugan, she studies his small frame and then realized who she was talking to. She never really met him in person in her time but the way he carries himself…the mature eyes that was way old and wise for his age, and the strong aura that promise skill and talent—was enough for her to know who this young boy was._

_Itachi Uchiha._

"_I am."_

_The boy continued to stare at her, wise eyes serious. "But you knew I'm here."_

"_I can feel you…but that doesn't mean I can see you." She reasoned. She was feeling all weird again at the idea of talking to Sasuke's brother, the person who will someday eliminate his whole clan save for his younger brother and join the rebellious Akatsuki. He was now a proclaimed hero, yes, but she can't imagine how this young boy will grow up to face those burdens all by himself—burdens that would be a turning point for Konoha. "Uhm…what's your name?" She figured she could ask even though she already knew._

"_Uchiha Itachi." The boy answered, taking a step closer. "But I know you're not blind…"_

"_Really?"_

"_I could tell…"_

"_Uhm…" Hinata fidgeted with her fingers. She was still thinking for her answer when Kakashi appeared just in time to save her. He landed next to her, still wearing his mask. The Hatake looked at the young Uchiha and for a few seconds, they just stayed the way._

_Black knowing eyes against cold, secretive ones._

"_You shouldn't be here. The Uchiha clan head is looking for you." Kakashi said and he was the first one to cut the contact. Itachi's face was stoic and he bowed his head once in respect for the Anbu and left without a word. But Hinata saw the look the young child has given her before taking off. It was like…acknowledgement of some sort. "Stay away from that kid." Kakashi said when he was sure that the Uchiha was out of earshot. "The boy is…inquisitive."_

"_H-hai. I know about him…He is a prodigy." Hinata said and she stood up and patted her behind to get rid of dirt and grass. "S-shall we go?"_

_Kakashi looked at her and she looked away. It was silly, even though she has an eye covering but she just could not look at him in the eyes…after what happened that night…she just couldn't. _

_That night when he was dreaming and he embraced her so tight she cannot even inhale air to save her life._

_She have thought that when he opened his eyes, he would push her away then act like nothing happened…or even lash out at her for just being near him. But it didn't happen. Instead, he continued to hold her like he was in great pain. She remembered being frozen inside the circle of his arms and can do nothing but looked at him with big stunned eyes. It was a moment of vulnerability for the Hatake's part and she felt like an intruder._

_She could still remember how he held her close and whispered. "Stay like this for a moment. I need it."_

_She could still hear the his raspy breath like he was having the hard time breathing like she does—even though they have entirely different reasons why._

_She stayed by his side that night…and he didn't said anything but just held her close. The next morning, both pretended like nothing happened and she knew that it was better that way. Kakashi was back to his former, cold self and she was back to…well, just herself._

"_Are you listening to me?" Kakashi asked impatiently and she jumped back a bit, completely lost in her thoughts. She peered at him and made an apologetic face._

"_Gomenasai…d-did you say something?"_

"_Tsk." He clicked his tongue. "Where's your presence of mind?"_

"_Gomen…"_

"_I said we can't stay here much longer. A few minutes and the others will be here and—"_

_Hinata nodded. "Okay."_

_Kakashi stopped saying and stared at her. "Hn."_

"_Anything wrong Kakashi-kun?" She asked, wondering why he just stopped and studied her behind the mask. "D-do I have something on my face?"_

"_Tsk. Just stop asking question will you? It's annoying." _(f)

**-o-o-o-**

_Here ends the chapter. Please review…_

_Happy holidays!_

_-crazygurl12_


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in Naruto. All credits belong to the great Kishimoto-sama._

-o-o-o-

Chapter Thirteen

(f)_ He pushed her into the corner and trapped her there by holding her hands high above her head. Her heart pounding hard on her chest, she stared into the eyes of Hatake Kakashi's younger self. _

_She doesn't know what triggered the act, she doesn't know the reason why he dragged her into this dark street and looked like a demon who was about to eat her whole. She was contentedly chatting with Genma a while ago when this happened. Even the young Genma was surprised when she was dragged suddenly by an Anbu._

_With one hand, he held her arms trapped in his dead grip, and then his other hand reached out for his mask to tug it down and reveal his face._

"_K-Kakashi-kun…" Her eyes widened when she saw his face. It was the first time that he removed his face covering and even though she was on a very uncomfortable state, she still looked at him with awe. It was dark but she still could see well for the reflection of the street light was enough for her sensitive eyes. However, she was not able to ponder about it more than she could have because he suddenly slammed his lips on hers._

_The force knocked her breath away and for a few seconds, all she did was be frozen and be stunned. And when she realized what was happening, he was already biting her lower lip with lust and hunger that it made her whimper helplessly. She knew could have pushed him away…could have used a gentle fist to ward him off…_

_But she didn't._

_It might have been fact that she suddenly felt too weak, or also because when she felt his hungry lips against her own, she melted and her mind turned blank she almost forgot where she was. She could hear his rasp breaths mingling with the sound of her own gasping ones. _

_Kakashi's hand left her wrist and her arms dropped to her sides nimbly. It was almost as of someone has blocked her chakra passageways for she can't move a single limb. He then grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him. He kissed her hard and rough it made her head spin._

"_K-Kaka…shi-k-kun." She managed to say between the rough torture of his lips. His arms were holding her so tight she was almost sure it would leave a bruise. She heard him groan and she whimpered again beneath the cover of his mouth. Why was he acting like this?_

_And most important, why was she feeling like this?_

"_Ka-ka-shi…" She tried again. She can't breathe and her lungs were already screaming for air. Kakashi however, was intent to continue what he started for her please were left unheard and it only made him act more…hungrier. Closing her eyes, she grabbed his shoulders to steady both of them and then waited for him to calm down._

_A few seconds later, he did…and it was more of getting back to his senses than that of calming down. He took a step back, eyes looking surprised. He then studied her flushed face and messy hair. He was breathing hard and he raised his arm to wipe the cold sweat that has formed on his brow. "You should have stopped me." He said, moving his eyes away from her face. His voice was husky and the sound of it made her shiver._

"_Why…?" Her hands rose to her chest and she held it there. She could still feel her heart beating hard and wild. "Why…d-did you…"_

"_I shouldn't have—"_

"_Why?"_

"_Listen Hinata—"_

"_Kakashi-kun…"_

"_Do not ask me a question that I cannot answer." He suddenly snapped at her with angry eyes. Shaking his head, he let his fingers ran over his silver spikes of a hair. "I got angry seeing you with Genma. That's all there is to it." Not even giving her a second glance, he started walking away. "I won't be home tonight. Take care of our apartment for now."_

_Our apartment._

"_Kakashi…"_

"_And just…just don't go flaunting yourself around the male population or—"He stopped in mid sentence when the girl grabbed his arm and pulled him back. When he did, he looked straight into her big, pearl-like eyes. He stared into them, mismatched ones against pure white. They stayed like that for a while before he looked away. It was like a battle of wills and he knew he won't win against her. "What?"_

"_What are we to each other Kakashi?"_

"_I don't know…" It was the truth. "But I think whatever it is…it should stop." _(f)

"Oh!" For the fifth time, Hinata found her face planted on the mud. Strong arms then pulled her back up like a child and she looked at the mask man who helped her. He was also knee deep in the mud and she smiled apologetically. "Arigatou."

She heard him chuckle lightly. "I thought you were swimming. I can see you paddling over there." He pointed a muddy finger on the place where she first slipped. In response, she smiled then tried to get the mud off her face with her hands only to realize that they weren't helping. Her overalls and hands were already full of mud. She grimaced and looked at the copy nin.

He has his sleeves rolled up that his shirt almost looked sleeveless. He was knee-deep in the mud like her but he was more dignified looking. Here she was, the Hyuga _'hime' _who has been trained to look poised and proud all her life was looking like a disgruntled cow while Kakashi looks like he was just doing a little farm stroll.

If anything, the mud and the rolled up sleeve was just making him look—dare she say it—desirable. The length of his arms was showing and the glistening sweat was highlighting the well-toned muscles.

_Good heavens…_

She was ashamed for thinking that way, but Hinata knew she was not the only person who thinks so. Looking at her right side on the end of the planting field, she could see two ladies who were busy giggling and staring at the masked man. They are the farmer's two daughters and they were nice enough to bring them water.

Well…they were nicer to Kakashi but she still thinks of them as nice.

Hinata has a feeling that the water and the effort was really intended for the copy nin for they offered it first to him without even giving her a second glance, but being the gentleman that he was, Kakashi lets her drink the water first. She has a suspicion that it was the reason why the girls were giving her pointed looks when they thought she wasn't looking.

"A good day's work." Kakashi said.

"Hai." She agreed. Good thing they have started early today, the farmer who owns the field was an old man and his only son was sick so the field was left untended for a few weeks. There was a lot of work cut out for them and they have such limited time. She tried her best to do her part of the work even though she has no real experience in farming. Yes she has gardens back home, and it was beautifully tended…but farming a vast muddy field was an entirely different matter.

But Hinata was not complaining. She found the work actually fun and enjoyable. Kakashi was fun to be with and she was enjoying their time together. She can't help but giggle at his witty remarks and she suspects that he found her clumsiness like diving on mud hilarious.

For the whole day, they worked, they laughed, and they grew tired together.

"Your hair is matted with mud." Kakashi remarked, staring at her nest of a hair. She blew some away from her mud plastered face but it didn't go away. It was stuck because of the mud. With a helpless smile, she shrugged at him. "You should tie that next time." He told her.

"I should." She agreed. "B-but my hands were muddy I can't—"

"Come here." Kakashi moved so that he was behind her and he wheeled her around. His hands were still muddy but he reasoned that she was already muddy anyway. Well, as muddy as she could get with all those mud dives she was performing earlier. Wiping his hands on the front of his shirt, he began to collect her messy hair and turned it expertly into a bun. Hinata was still and so he continued to arrange her long blue locks as best as he could. "There. That should do it." He examined his handiwork with a critical eye. Her hair was still looking like a nest but at least it was not bothering her eyes.

"Arigatou." Hinata blinked owlishly. She swore she felt his fingers on her neck. "Y-you are good at this Kakashi-san." She complimented. The way his fingers combed through her hair…she knew it was not the first time. Unconsciously, she wondered who the lucky girl was.

"I know." Kakashi said proudly. "I could make a business out of it."

She giggled at his remark but left it that way. "Y-you have a lot of practice K-Kakashi-san?" Behind her question, she honestly wanted to know whose hair he was combing…or tying. It was really nonsensical but her mouth already blurted the question out before she could do something to stop it. Thus, betraying what's inside her mind once again.

The jounin looked at her and for a second, she wondered if she saw his eye flicker with…memory? "Seventeen years ago." He answered and he looked away. He was much taller than her so she can't see his eye. "I have a cousin. She has a long beautiful hair like yours and she keeps letting it loose. I have to tie it myself."

"I-I see." Why was she feeling so relieved? It was honestly flooding her insides and Hinata can't help but feel silly with her own emotions. With a sigh, she shook her head and stretched her neck up. The sun was casting orange and yellow colors across the sky—a sign that it was about to set. "We have spent a whole day…" She muttered.

"Yeah." Now Kakashi was looking up too. "I'm tired."

"Gomenasai…"

Kakashi looked at her by the side of his eye. "Mind if I ask why are you apologizing Hinata-chan?" She signed and her face looked pensive. The orange sky was reflecting on her eyes. It made her white orbs looked orange and he decided that no color suits her eyes better than those deep whites.

"You have to do all the hard work. The moment that—"

"If you are that sorry…then make it up to me." He said, making his tone serious.

And Hinata, being very polite and honorable, bobbed her head in agreement. "O-Of course! I'll do anything to make it up to you Kakashi-san."

The Hatake looks like he was thinking about something before he answered. He was feeling a little sheepish but blames it on the Icha-Icha books that he has been reading a few days ago. So with a straight face, or at least what his mask could reveal, he looked at her just to see her to his request. "I still want that massage."

He saw her gulp.

"M-massage…y-your back?" She managed to ask, cheeks beginning to turn red. At first, the color crept to her neck and up to her cheeks. It ended on the tip of her nose and he wondered what she would do if he pinches it. Her nose was so small and it was cute.

Well…everything about her was cute.

"I was about to say shoulders but if you insist on doing it on my back…then I guess I have no choice but to let you." And now he was just being a flirt. He could have laughed at the way her eyes flickered with unease but he thought against it so he settled on a smile that she couldn't see.

"Okay…" Hinata took a deep breath. She promised him a back massage so he was going to get one. Tilting her head, she observed the tall man next to her. He was staring at the clouds now and the cool, fresh air was playing with his silver hair. She never has time to think about Hatake Kakashi back home. He was just too_ invisible_ to take her attention. Every time she saw him and be curious, he would disappear the next few days. Every time their paths crosses, he would greet her with the most simplest and reserved of greetings that she don't even have time to _really_ realized that it was him.

When he stopped being her "hero" back when she was a kid, it was also as if the man stopped existing.

And now looked at her, almost every day since their mission started, he was the only person that consecutively occupies her mind. It was weird but it seems like the longer time they spend together, the more prone she was on…being attached. With a sigh, she followed the direction of his gaze and also stared at the setting sun. "It's beautiful…right Kakashi-san?"

"I agree." Kakashi answered—but his eye left the sky and landed on her. "Very beautiful."

"Uhm…Hatake-san!" The girls called from the end of the muddy field, both waving their hands enthusiastically. It did not escaped Hinata's attention that they were only calling for the copy nin. "Otou-san wants you to join dinner with us. You can wash off the mud by the well at the back of our house." For the second time, she has observed that they only invited one.

"Oh…I'm sorry but we can't join you tonight. Maybe tomorrow?" Kakashi called back. "We still have to talk to Yoda-sama." Hinata's head snapped to him. He was lying. Lord Yoda said nothing about talking with them for today. Kakashi caught her eye and he winked, making her blink owlishly at him as she waited for an explanation.

At the end of the field, the two girls looked disappointed. "Well…tomorrow then. Maybe you could join us." One of them—the oldest—said with a pout on her lips. They then waved half heartedly and began to tread back to their house, carrying the water containers that they brought with them.

"Ano…Kakashi-san—"Hinata started.

"We can eat outside tonight…explore the town a bit."

"But why did you decline? " She asked, not to mention that he lied too. "Dinner with them sounds good."

"Well…the invitation for dinner was only for one." His eye wrinkled at the side.

So the copy nin was able to read what was running inside her mind. Were her thoughts too obvious on her face? Oddly, she felt glad that he was also considering her feelings before making his decisions. It was nice knowing that someone was being so considerate.

She smiled. "You could have accepted…I w-won't mind if you did."

"Ah…I could yes. But I prefer your company."

-o-

The dinner bar was cozy and filled with a lot of people. Having changed into their regular clothes, the two Konohans chose one vacant table that was nearest to the window. Both of their hairs were still wet for they have no choice but to take another bath to wash off the dirt and mud.

Looking around interestedly—unlike Kakashi who was just looking like his usual, lazy and uninterested self—Hinata can't hide the excitement and wonder on her face. The place was beautiful and a delicious aroma fills the air and into her nose. She has also observed that the people of Kali love the night life. Everything was so lively any stranger who passes by might think that that there was a festival going on.

Shifting her gaze to the mask man, she was amused to find his chin resting above a hand which was on top of the table. His Hitai-ate was missing so his hair was covering mostly his forehead and sharingan eye. "K-Kakashi-san…" His bored midnight eye landed on her and she looked at him with question. "Ano…you look bored."

Kakashi shook his head. "No…It's just that I experienced this last year." The side of his uncovered eye wrinkled and he chuckled softly. "Don't mind me…I want you to enjoy. It's a good way to wash relax after a hard day's work."

The statement made Hinata frown. The man has done three times the work she has finished. He was much faster and stronger than her so that outcome was expected, but that also made her realize that the tiredness that her body was feeling would be nothing compared to what he might be feeling right now. Hinata made a mental note to do something about it when they get back to their room.

Maybe offer him a homemade salve she made for sore muscles?

"So…what do you want to eat?" Kakashi asked, eyes looking down on the small card board paper that serves as the list of menu for tonight's food. The girl picked hers up and was thoughtful. "I want soba." He pointed on a small picture. "Good thing Hokage-sama was generous with our mission allowance and we can afford this stuff."

"Uhm…" She read the list for the second time. There were so many choices that she can't decide what delicacies to sample. They all sound so delicious. Finally after minutes of deliberation, she settled for the special tofu and some kind of fish that was steamed and cooked with vegetables.

"Sounds good." He said when she said her order out loud to the young man who was waiting.

When the food was placed in front of them a few minutes after they ordered, both ate in silence and savored the unique and rich taste of Kali's delicacies. Kakashi has ordered a glass of something that has some alcohol in it—but strictly for himself for he knew the young Hyuga was not a drinker. Well, he was not an alcohol drinker himself but it goes well with the good food.

The girl ate with poise and he caught himself staring a few times. It was just with the way she handles her chopsticks and the way she held her glass that you can really tell that she was well bred. Her table manners were perfect. When he stole a glance at her for the seventh time, their eyes met and she blinked at him.

"S-something on my face Kakashi-san?" She asked as her hands grabbed the thin napkin on the table and began wiping her face with it. She did it so innocently that he laughed and shook his head. When she heard that he was laughing, she stopped wiping her face and peered at him behind the thin cloth. "Ano…is something wrong?"

He shook his head again but said nothing.

She frowned a little and continued to stare at his sheepish expression. "Kakashi-san…" She sighed. The man obviously knows something that she doesn't and he was laughing at her expense. She was not really offended for in fact, she was feeling good to hear his low, deep laugh. It was just the want to know why he was laughing while looking at her. He seemed so amused.

"It's nothing." The copy nin finally said.

"Okay…" She was still looking at him calculatedly, white eyes glinting with the reflection of the lamp lights.

After they ate and paid the bill, they hurriedly left the bar to return to their assigned lodging. Both were tired so they decided that they could stroll and explore the place another time. Once inside their room, Kakashi plopped on his bed and stretched his whole body on it.

"My muscles hurt." The Copy nin mumbled.

Hinata remembered her promise.

"Very painful…" The older nin continued. "I could almost feel my tissues break—"

"Ano…" She looked down on the floor and clenched her fingers together to stop fidgeting. She has outgrown the habit but it tends to return every time she fell a little nervous. "D-do you want your m-massage now?" She saw him looked at her with raised eyebrows. His white hair was still covering half of his face so she can't see the sly glint that passed on his eye before he propped himself into a sitting position.

Then without word, he removed his mask and threw it on the desk beside the bed. His black, long sleeve shirt followed and Hinata gulped when he looked at her before lying on his stomach on the soft mattress, his lean but well muscled back facing her in all its glory.

She bit the inside of her cheek but slowly and silently walked to his bed. He scooted a bit to the side so she could sit next to him. Frankly, her intentions were actually for two things. First, she wants to keep the promise that she said to him a few days ago. She never goes back on her words and she would feel rather degraded if she did. Second, it was because she knew that Kakashi was really tired and that's the least she could do for him. Besides, he has vocally expressed that he wanted a massage and with her usual _'Hinata-ness', _she cannot bring herself to refuse.

But the moment when she sat beside his lying form and felt his skin under her fingers, she realized something.

She was attracted to this man.

_She has a crush on Naruto-kun's teacher._

The realization hit her like concrete on the head. It all made sense now…everything just made sense. So that's why she can't help herself but blush every time he looks at her or make jokes. That's why she help being awkward when he was around. And that's why she kept in thinking about him…even though he was just so near.

The truth scared her and her hands shook a little as she lit her fingers with light bluish chakra. Slowly, she started massaging his neck and shoulders, trying to undo the knots while her head was trying to undo its own complicated _knot. _Everyone was right…Hatake Kakashi was a one man walking hazard.

She has a crush once and she thought a few times that she even loved him. Naruto was many things and she can't help but admire and looked up to him. Oddly, she can't stop notice that the feeling with the Hatake was different. She guessed that it was because Naruto-kun was young and Kakashi was a man…a grown man.

Not to mention that he was older and was probably out killing enemy nins while she was just a baby.

_Goodness…_ She unconsciously bit her lip. _What is happening to me? Kakashi is Kakashi-sensei. It's i-improper and it's not right. _Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Unfortunately, it only made her remember that time when he pressed his lips on hers to give her air in that water prison.

Mentally, Hinata was already panicking.

Kakashi closed his eyes when he felt her fingers touched his skin. Her fingers felt hot because of the chakra and were making the most delicious motions on his back. He could hear the satisfying clicks of his bones and he groaned when she touched a particularly sore spot. He knew he was about to cross the line by pushing her to do this. He knew that he was just making it harder on himself by doing so. Maybe it was the alcohol—that drink was a little too strong for him in his opinion.

Or maybe it was the knowing that after the mission, he won't be spending time with her again like this so he was pushing his chances. When she disappeared in his life back when he was fifteen, it has been hell. No one could help him at that time because shortly after she returned to her time, Minato and Kushina were killed by the Kyuubi…and that Madara person was starting to show up and making a mess out of things.

No one could help him back then for they don't know what he was going through.

What's worse, he also has to witness her being born into this world and see her to grow up into a beautiful young lady. When he first saw her as a baby, he almost went berserk. It was like he was being destroyed not only physically but mentally. It was like being slapped hard on the face. It was really a weird and hard time for him…because he knew that the newly born Hyuga baby was the very same person that he has given his heart to…and that she would grow up to be a beautiful woman that won't even remember that there was a time that he was a part of her life.

It has really hard, knowing that she was starting a new life and can't remember him. What makes it harder was the fact that time itself was against them.

Hell…It also didn't escape him that she was falling for one of his beloved student.

He has watched over her…protected her in the shadows without anyone knowing. And after a few years of being her personal guard in the shadows, he decided that it was time to let go of the past and let her live her life happily. It was a new start, even though she has no idea about it.

So he tried his best to act natural and leave her alone…until Tsunade-hag-sama assigned them on this mission together. His old feelings were intact, but he has locked it inside him and it was almost forgotten—and now those feelings were starting to break free like boiling water.

Hinata pressed a spot on his back that made him crease his brow. Her hand was gentle yet strong and it made him sigh. He was feeling so relaxed that he closed his eyes again and buried his face on the mattress as he let her soft hands ease his cramps.

Hinata can feel his breaths beginning to slow until she was almost sure that he was asleep. A few minutes more and she slowly left his side, careful not to wake him. Kakashi's senses were very sharp so she tiptoed back to the direction of her bed and would have jumped happily onto it if she didn't heard him mutter her name.

"_Hinata…"_

She paused and looked back, all the while thinking that her controlled movements woke him. But when she saw that his eyes were still closed and his unbelievably handsome face was relaxed, she frowned. Was he…talking in his sleep? Her bed forgotten, she slowly turned around and looked at him owlishly.

"_Hinata…"_ A voice called again and this time, she was sure that it was not Kakashi. His mouth was closed and she was _very _sure that the man was sleeping—but she was also sure that it was _his_ voice. Wheeling around on her spot, she can see no one and feel no one so she did the most rational thing that entered her mind.

She bends down and looked under the bed.

"_Hinata…time is against us."_

Hearing her name again made her jump straight back up. With dread, she realized that the hallucinations from before were starting again so she froze in panic. This was no time to be having this mental issues or whatever it was called. On his bed, she heard Kakashi stirred and his eyes fluttered open, one red and one black.

"Hinata-chan..."

Her big scared eyes looked at his in panic. "K-Kakashi-san."

Kakashi propped himself up, the drowsy look was replaced with a more serious one. He saw that same look on her face once and it was when she was having trouble while they were on Sai's ink bird. "You're chakra is too visible and unstable. Is something wrong?" She continued to stare at him with those scared and confused moon-like eyes that he has to stand up and walked towards her.

"I…t-think I h-have mental issues" She said softly, realizing with dread the most logical explanation.

Kakashi blinked. "What?"

"I…I keep hearing your voice Kakashi-sensei." She was using the sensei again and he knew that something was really wrong. The last time that she called him with that honorific was when they were on Kali's forest. Hinata was shaking and her lower lip was quivering so he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I…think I'm going cra—"

"You're not."

"Demo…why do I keep hearing your voice? Even now I am e-expecting to see an Anbu and—"

"Mind if I ask what the voice—or my voice is saying?" He asked and she became thoughtful for a few seconds. "I need to know Hinata-chan."

"Ano…it kept on saying that time is against us." Her voice was low and small, afraid that now, he was really going to believe that she was crazy. She took a step back from him and lowered her face. She doesn't want to see his face when Kakashi starts telling her that she has mental issues or that she needs to have her head looked at the moment when they returned to the leaf. "Gomen…I think there's something wrong with me."

"Hinata-chan…"

"Gomenasai sensei!"

Kakashi looked at the girl who has no idea what she was doing to his insides when she started to look like she was on the verge of tears. Eyes narrowing a bit, he held her chin up with his right hand. She was avoiding his eyes but he forced her to look straight to him by bending down to her eye level.

Then she let out a very soft whimper and Kakashi started to blame everything on the alcohol.

Without a word, he brought his left hand around her waist and pulled her to him. He was not a fool. He has felt the attraction kicking in the moment the mission started. Unfortunately for her, that simple attraction between them has more meaning to him since he has loved her unconditionally in the past. Hell…he knew he was stepping above the limit, but for the first time in his life, he can't control himself.

"K-Kakashi-san…" Hinata's eyes widened when he pulled her close, his bare chest pressing against her cheek. His strong arm was around her waist and her body was being pulled up until she was on tiptoes. Raising her eyes to his mismatched ones, she gasped as a cold shiver ran up her spine when she saw how serious and intense his eyes were. "K-Kakashi-san…" She repeated, mouth unable to mutter any word aside from his name.

"Shhh…" was all that he said before he presses his lips above hers.

Damn Kami…he was going to regret this by morning…he was sure.

-o-o-o-

_Writer's block! Urgh…So here ends the chapter._

_I need reviews!_

_-crazygurl12_


	14. Chapter 14

_Wow…got a lot of reviews. Thank you everyone! It was so motivating and it fuels me up big time. I am so sorry for the errors but thanks for keeping up with the story anyway._

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in Naruto._

-o-o-o-

Chapter Fourteen

(f) _ "Naruto-kun!" Hinata dodged the kunai that was intended for her head and leaped behind the cover of a tree. She could hear the dull thuds of the blades as they pierced the hardd bark. Activating her Kekkei Genkai, she saw Naruto and Sakura dodged a few weapons while Shikamaru was warding off a few enemy nins on the left. The lazy Nara looks like he was having a hard time since he can't manipulate his shadow technique for the enemy nins kept him on the move. He can't even perform a hand seal because before he has a chance to do so, they'd throw weapons or attack him heads on. On her right, Kiba was lying on his stomach and blood was oozing out from a wound on his back._

"_Naruto-kun!" She called again, soft voice ringing very loud. "Please take Kiba-kun and leave the area." They were after Naruto for they realized that he was the strongest of them all. They wanted to take him out first so they were really trying to outnumber him and ward the rest of them with weapons. _

_Well, all of them were outnumbered but they were really focused on the Uzumaki._

_The mission was to retrieve a lost relic that belongs to Konoha. It was a book of forbidden jutsus written by the second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. The book was currently inside her purple jacket for they were successful on getting it back. The only problem was, a few enemy nins wanted the book for themselves too._

_And now they found themselves on this predicament._

_Naruto leaped away from Sakura and landed to where Kiba was. Hinata saw her chance to move after paralyzing three nins with her gentle fist technique and jumped behind the Uzumaki. She acted as his shield as he kneeled behind Kiba. He touched Kiba's neck._

"_Naruto-kun please take Kiba away from here." She said, catching a kunai with her bare fingers._

_Naruto looked at her with wide eyes. "He is not breathing Hinata-chan."_

_For a moment, it seems like the world stopped. Hinata could feel her heart pounding crazily against her chest as her mind processed what the Uzumaki said. As she was about to look at Kiba herself, she heard a scream to the right and saw that a katana has pierced Sakura on the back, her lips coughing blood._

_The pink haired Kunoichi dropped on the ground like stone._

_Hinata and Naruto both screamed Sakura's name—one out of horror and the other out of concern. Naruto leaped back to the Haruno and Hinata grabbed her fallen teammate by the shoulder. This was bad and she feared that they were going to lose their lives before the sun sets. They were outnumbered and the enemy nins have planned their attacks well._

_Then an out of nowhere, an idea entered her mind._

_It was so dangerous and so absurd that no one in their right minds would even think about it. She was desperate though, and she doesn't care what the consequences where as long as she could protect her friends and that they won't lose their lives. She has no option anyway, because sooner or later, they would die if this continues._

_However, she was pulled out by her thoughts when she heard an unearthly scream. Looking back, she saw Naruto's eyes turned red and his canines elongated. His nails turned into claws and orange chakra begun to bubble out of him like thick fog. With dread, she realized that things were really getting out of hand._

_No…Naruto should not be letting the the Kyuubi take over his body. The nine tailed beast cannot be controlled yet…_

_That only made her resolve stronger. With a whisper that everything's going to be alright, Hinata dropped Kiba on the ground. He was so still she almost feared that he was really dead. It only made her decision more reasonable. Pulling Tobirama's book out and using Naruto's Kyuubi-enraged moment as a distraction for the enemy nins, she flipped the pages as her Byakugan enhanced eyes scanned the pages._

_Then she saw what she was looking for._

_Quickly memorizing the hand seals, she returned the book inside her jacket and began to recall the combination in her mind as her hands moved in a blurry. As she was doing it, she could feel the wind whizzing past her ears and bluish light began to appear on the ground where she stood._

_With a final seal, she slammed both hands on the ground and everything went dark._

_She suddenly felt nauseous. She can feel no hard ground under her feet and it seem like she was floating. When she blinked to clear away the film from her eyes, she gasped in surprise as she saw images whirled around her. When she stared hard into the pictures, she gasped._

_It was like she was watching everything that happened to her days ago frame by frame. She saw a moving image where Tsunade gave them the mission. She saw the image where she hid the forbidden book inside her jacket. There was also that image where she saw their unit about to cross the bridge that was one of their biggest mistakes._

_For at the end of that bridge, enemy nins were waiting to ambush them. Instinctively, her hand reached out for that image. It was moving around her so stretched as hard as she could and tried to grab it._

_Then the darkness disappeared._

"_Hinata-chan!" Sakura slung an arm around her as the Hyuga looked at her, stunned. "You're spacing out. What's the problem?"_

_Hinata blinked again and looked around. The darkness that she was in a second ago…was gone. She was now standing at the foot of the bridge with a very live Kiba, a normal Naruto and an uninjured Nara and Haruno. It was the very exact picture inside that image that she tried to reach._

_The time jutsu worked._

"_Come! Let's cross this bridge and get it over with!" Naruto grinned and started walking in long strides. Hinata made a grab for him and she pulled him back much to everyone's surprise. Naruto staggered and they all looked at her with question. Her hand still clenched tightly around the Uzumaki's collar. "H-Hinata-chan…what's wrong?" Naruto asked._

"_Enemy nins…they are waiting to ambush us at the other side of that bridge." She said._

"_H-how did you know?" Sakura asked while Kiba scratched his chin. "H-Hinata-chan…you are very pale."_

_Heart still pounding, she decided to tell her friends what happened. "I…I changed the time." She muttered. "We already crossed this bridge and we have been ambushed. Kiba…Kiba-kun died and Naruto let the Kyuubi take over his body when he saw Sakura-chan—"_

"_Hinata…" It was Shikamaru. "You mean you…"_

"_I turned the time back." She said again._

_Everyone turned silent and the only sound that they could hear were the rustling of leaves from the forest around them. Shikamaru, being the genius, suddenly understood how the Hyuga was able to do it. Hinata never lie and he trusts every word she says. "Hinata-chan…did you…did you use a jutsu from that book?" When they retrieved the book of forbidden jutsu, he was able to scan it and there was one jutsu in particular that caught his attention._

_The time traveling jutsu._

_Sakura gasped. "So we really were ambushed!"_

"_Can you give me the book? I wanted to see something." Shikamaru asked as the rest of the team began to ask questions and cheer for Hinata's actions. Kiba gave the Hyuga a hug while Naruto grinned again, thanking her for doing so. When Shikamaru received the book, he flipped the pages until he saw what he was looking for._

_He read and now it was his face that turned pale._

"_Hinata-chan…" Shikamaru looked at her with weary eyes. "You shouldn't have done it."_

"_What? Are you crazy Shikamaru?" Naruto asked. "Did you not hear what Hinata-chan said? We are dead meat if she didn't do it."_

_Shikamaru showed them the book. "It says here that when time traveling…you should not do anything to change whatever you wanted to change. It is an absolute rule. The time traveler should be a mere observer…nothing else. It would cause a time change and there would be a big consequence."_

"_What…" Kiba started_

"_Hinata just made a time ripple by telling us what will happen after we cross that bridge." He continued, ignoring the surprised glares of the others. "It was said here that there might be a side effect and—"_

"_But we will die if we cross that—"_

"_Exactly. Time and destiny has been changed because now…nobody will cross that bridge." The Nara looked at the Hyuga who was so still. "All of the Second Hokage's jutus are considered forbidden because somehow it would always affect the user. His techniques are very complicated they are almost out of this world. Look at this one for instance." He showed them the page. "Reanimation Jutsu. It could bring the dead back to life….but a life should also be sacrificed."_

_Sakura shuddered._

_Before Shikamaru could continue to explain his theory, a bluish light from the ground—under Hinata's feet—glowed. They all watched in stunned surprise as the blue light began to envelope the Hyuga, who in turn looked at them with horror. Before anyone could react, the light grew stronger that they have to cover their eyes._

_When it subsided, Hinata was nowhere to be found._

_Hinata closed her eyes as the feeling when she was on that dark void returned. She felt dizzy again and her stomach started to churn. Unlike the first time, there were no images…only darkness and the feeling that she was floating. She couldn't think clearly for her mind refused to work._

_She stayed like that for minutes…or even hours. She couldn't really tell how long but when she opened her eyes again, she gasped in surprise to see that she was now staring at two electric blue eyes that were identical to Naruto's. "W-who…" She stuttered, tongue and lips refused to work together. She coughed and a hand was placed gently on her back. She flinched at the unfamiliar contact and the owner of those beautiful blue eyes smiled._

"_I am Minato Namikaze…let me help you." _(f)

Hinata knew the feeling of being paralyzed before. Her chakra pathways have been blocked more than once with her past sparring sessions with Neji, Hanabi, or Hiashi. It was not really a nice feeling but she knew that she can't compare it with anything; the feeling of being numb was just…weird and unique.

But Kakashi Hatake has proven her wrong.

The moment he pressed his lips on hers, the impact it sent to her body was like that of being hit by a palm technique. It was like her pathways were blocked and she can't move even just a single muscle. The only difference was, when you are paralyzed with a gentle palm, you are very much aware of what was happening to your surroundings, but when Kakashi paralyzes you with his lips, you are aware of nothing except for him.

And that was exactly what she was feeling right now.

The arm around her waist tightened and she was pressed on his bare midsection. His lips were gentle and there was no hint of aggressiveness. It only felt like he was testing…trying to see her reaction if he should continue. Kakashi was taking his time…trying his best to be gentle.

He was savoring the moment.

"K-Kakashi…" She started when he let her mouth free for air. The honorific should have followed the name if he didn't press his lips on hers again. Heat crept up to her neck and up to her cheeks and her hands moved up to wedged themselves between them, serving as some sort of barrier between their bodies. It did nothing to help though, for instead of giving her some sort of shield, it only made her feel the hard, lean chest under her fingers.

_Goodness Kami…_

Kakashi knew this was wrong…this was so, so wrong. His mind was screaming for him to stop but his body was such an evil creature. It refuses to listen…it refuses to listen to rational thinking.

And everyone thought that he was smart and was in control in almost everything.

Well, he just proved them wrong tonight.

The girl froze and she was not even squirming anymore. If he didn't knew better, he would think that she turned into statue. Unfortunately for her, he could feel her fast heartbeat and fast breathes. No…she was very much aware of what was happening. She was just in shock maybe?

Slowly, he dragged her towards the bed and without breaking their lips apart, he lowered her down and—

"K-Kakashi-sensei." It was barely a whisper but he heard it and the honorific struck him cold. Realization hit him that this girl was innocent and here he was—a much older man—on the verge of defiling her. She may be the same girl that has skipped time and stole his heart when he was young, but this was also the girl who have forgotten everything and now may think of him as a perverted teacher who couldn't keep his lusts in control.

He broke the contact like her skin was made of fire and propped himself up hastily.

The Hyuga's eyes were wide and it stared back at him like white pearls. She was breathing heavily that matches the rising and falling of his chest. Her hands were folded in front of her and her cheeks flushed. They stared at each other like they were on a trance for a long time before she snapped out of it and lolled her head to the side.

She looks so…_tempting_ while lying on the bed and grimaced.

His hand plowed his silver hair back as he looked up the ceiling, hoping that something would swallow him whole. He could still taste her lips and he bet that she feels the same. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and shook his head. He was wrong about regretting this by morning…

For he was going to regret it tonight.

"I…" He started and reached out for her hand to pull her back up. What should he say? That he lost control? Would he smile and pretend that he was drunk so that she would think that it was just the alcohol working? Or could he just—damn…he honestly has no idea what to do. "Hinata-chan…"

When he kissed her, Hinata's mind turned blank and now that he removed the contact, her mind worked like newly oiled wheels. Suddenly propping herself up, her shocked eyes came back to life and her brain worked like crazy. Maybe it was because of panic…

Or maybe she was just a fast thinker for situations like this.

So without much of a though, she gave the older man a nervous smile. She tried to do better than that but it still came out as a nervous one. "I…I think I hallucinated just now."

Kakashi blinked. Both of them knew very well that what happened between them was no hallucination. Her lips were still swollen for goodness sakes. With a subtle smile—which was almost grim—he realized that Hinata was giving him a way out. Maybe it was out of respect for him or because she knew that if she reacted differently, it would be a hindrance to their mission.

And a mission that just started by the way.

"I…I really have to ask Sakura-chan about this hallucinations when I get back." Hinata looked down, wanting to avoid Kakashi's eyes. Her heart was still pounding like a hammer against her ribs but she tried to steady herself and act neutral. She knew that the Copy Nin got her point…that she was going to pretend that nothing happened. It was a really valiant effort for her part but it was the best idea that she could came up with to avoid awkwardness.

She could smell a hint of alcohol when he kissed her so it must be that. Yes…she was definitely going to put her blame on the alcohol.

Kakashi was silent and Hinata thought that he would tell her that it was not some kind of hallucination and that she was carzy. She was mentally praying that he would just accept the way out she has given him and pretend like nothing happened. She knew he was a nice person and she doesn't want to ruin their bond.

She was scared right now but could not fathom the real reason behind that fear. Was she scared because Kakashi kissed her? Or scared that she almost gave in?

"Yeah." He said finally. "You do that."

Hinata almost sighed in relief while Kakashi was torn.

He thanked her though, for being really brave to let his unacceptable trespassing of her personal boundaries passed. With a sigh, he closed his eyes for a second. "I need fresh air…its hot in here." He started walking to the door and opened the lock after grabbing his mask and shirt.

"O-Okay…" She squeaked.

"Lock the door Hinata-chan… I may be out for the whole night."

When the copy ninja disappeared from her sight, Hinata leaned back on the pillows and stretched her arms wide. Eyes still big from what happened, she stayed like that for some time before grabbing a pillow and buried her face onto it, hoping that somehow, she was just dreaming the whole thing.

The next morning, it didn't get any better.

When she woke up—she didn't even know how she slept in the first place –she found Kakashi hasn't returned the whole night. Sure she locked the door just like he instructed but come on, he could enter the room if he so want with ease. Oddly, she was feeling not just awkward…but nervous.

After eating a light breakfast from what she could cook from the remains of their provisions, she took a quick bath and changed her clothes with a purple long sleeved shirt and black pants. She skipped the jacket for she doesn't want her favorite clothing to get stained by mud.

As she was combing her wet hair, she can't help but wonder if he has eaten breakfast of where did he slept last night or if he ever did sleep at all. Was he already at the farmers' field working or was he going to be late? The thought of seeing Kakashi again made her stomach churn and the tips of her fingers grew cold.

Now she was not only worried about her "hallucinations" but also worried of what would become of her and the Copy nin. With an exasperated sigh, she picked up a small canteen that she filled with drinking water and started on her miserable way to the field.

Now that she was refreshed and her mind was functioning, she wondered how everything happened so fast last night. She was just giving him a massage then she started hearing weird things, and the next thing she knew, Kakashi has her by the waist and was kissing her—all the while half naked.

And he pushed her down on the bed too.

Unconsciously, she wondered what could have happened if the silver haired Hatake didn't pull back and continued to kiss her.

If any bystander could see her right now, she was sure that they would think that she has mental issues—well she already has but they didn't know. She was so red she must look like a tomato. She shook her head vigorously in an attempt to ward off the scene from last night and just to be sure, she slapped her forehead with a hand.

_Good heavens…_

She may be seventeen years old now and a few more weeks and she's turning eighteen. She would be considered as an adult then, but even so, she still has no experience with these intimate contacts. And to be honest; she was scared out of her wits last night when she experienced her first "intimate contact" with a guy.

Ino has shared some of her experiences with the male population a few times with her…and those romantic rendezvous that the Yamanaka said made her daydream about the day that she would be experiencing it with a boy. A few years back, she has dreamed the boy to be Naruto. Well, that was when she was still attracted to him. She later realized that what she felt for the Uzumaki was purely admiration and nothing else.

But who would have thought that it would be Kakashi-sensei? That he would be the first one to hold her that way and kissed her so gently—just like what she imagined her first real kiss to be?

Who would have thought that he first "intimate contact" would be with a Jounin teacher and the famous Copy Nin?

"You seem to be in a deep thought."

Hinata was startled and she heard a soft laugh beside her. When she tilted her head to the side, Lord Yoda was walking next to her while smiling. He was much taller than her—maybe as tall as Kakashi—so she raised her chin up and gave the nice man a polite greeting.

She was too absorbed in her thoughts that she even failed to notice him.

"You're early…going to old Sami's house?" Sami was the name of the farmer who owns the field that she and Kakashi have been working on.

"H-hai. We only have a week and there's a lot of work so we need to hurry."

Yoda seemed apologetic but the glint in his eyes says the opposite. "Gomen…I have no choice but to give you farm work. Believe me…you will choose that anytime if you knew the other options."

"It's okay Yoda-sama." She assured the man. With every step, the distance between them grew closer and she noticed it. She doesn't want to sound rude by mentioning it out loud so she decided to pretend that she was not feeling uneasy. "Farm work is fun...I am enjoying myself really."

Yoda nodded thoughtfully as he continued to match her pace. The girl was beautiful and he can't help being attracted to those white eyes. Plastering a friendly face on his handsome features, he slung an arm around the bluenette which earned him a surprised gasp from her. "You reminded me of my little sister." It was lie of course, but he knew it was best to have alibi.

Hinata was about to stepped back from him but his arm held her steady. Her face heated and she saw the sly smile on the daimyo's lips. She has the urge to push him away. She felt different being this near with this man. She was feeling molested even though he might be meaning it in a friendly way.

It was different from the way Kakashi—dare she say it—touched her.

However, years of good manners and etiquette inside the Hyuga household made her think twice of the things she wanted to do. So instead of pulling away from Yoda, she managed a weary smile and gently placed a hand on his arm with the intention of taking it away from her shoulders. If he was decent enough, it would make him realize that she doesn't like the contact.

Be it in a brotherly way.

However, she was beaten into it when a gloved hand removed Yoda's arm from her and she was pulled away from the Daimyo's side. The feudal lord looked pissed for a moment before he painted another fake smile on his face. "Kakashi-san." He greeted the Jounin. Kakashi appeared out of fucking nowhere and pulled the girl away from him.

_Over protective bastard._

"Yoda-sama." Kakashi's uncovered eye wrinkled at the side but Hinata knew it was fake. It was odd but she can tell if he was being genuine with his actions or not. "I see you found my partner here…"

Hinata's stomach suddenly feels like it was filled with butterflies.

"Ah yes, yes." Yoda nodded. "I have the chance to go the same way with the pretty lady here."

"Well. The farm is somewhere on this side." The silver haired Hatake pointed to his left. "So I think left is the way we should go...right Hinata-chan? You are leading her to the right."

Hinata inwardly flinched and Yoda chuckled. "Gomen…I just like her company."

"Let's go then." Kakashi gave the daimyo one last look. "Ohayo Yoda-sama." With that, he pocketed his hands and walked away lazily. In the corner of his eye, he could see that the Hyuga was trying to match his long stride. She has her eyes on the ground though.

"O-Ohayo Kakashi-san." Her small voice said.

He didn't look at her. "Ohayo Hinata-chan."

-o-

Hinata wiped the sweat that was forming on her brow and on the top of her nose. The sun was hot and it didn't help that mud has caked on her feet. Looking around, she saw Kakashi dropped a large sack of grain on the ground with ease. He has been putting a lot of effort to put distance between them today. Every time their gazes met, he would pretend that he was looking the other way and the next thing she knew, he would be a few meters away from her and working.

They talked…a little. He was still very polite and he still says his witty statements but she could feel that it was forced. The man was trying to pretend that everything was fine and she did too. She would smile when he says his jokes and she would try to converse if she was starting to feel awkward.

But both of them knew that they were just trying to make things easier.

Bending down to pull out a group of weeds, she observed him by the corner of her right eye. He wiped his muddy hands on the front of his black shirt and he looked up, squinting as the sun hit him squarely on the face. Maybe he was checking what time it was? Or trying to—

His head swiveled and he looked at her.

She blinked and pretended that she was not observing him. Pulling the weeds with sudden enthusiasm, she muttered a silent curse—yes, even a Hyuga Hime can curse—as what happened last night replayed inside her already messed up mind. Kakashi-sensei was being a stubborn. She hates to admit it but it was the truth. She was willing to forgive for what he did last night just as long as he could make up an excuse like he was drunk or anything…she was really going to let it pass. She trusts the guy enough to believe him…

But he was acting like it was a really big deal on his part. He was trying to be subtle about it but she was not that oblivious.

Sure it was a big deal…it shock her big time and almost gave her a heart attack. But really…he could just make some kind of excuse so that their close camaraderie and teamwork from the past days won't go to waste. She just wanted everything to go back to normal.

She sighed.

It continued like that for the whole day. None really wanted to talk and if they do, both were trying to be very polite. The usual teasing from the older Jounin was gone. Her usual shy smile was forced and every time their eyes met, she was starting to panic.

"Let's call it a day." Kakashi said from behind her and she stiffened. She was not expecting for him to say that first.

"O-okay." She nodded her head and tried to look at him in the eye. "Ano…C-can we pass by the market first? I want to buy some meat for dinner." It was a lame excuse, but she wanted to prolong the time before they go back to the building. She honestly doesn't know what to do if they were alone again.

"Sure." He said, rolling his sleeve down.

After washing away mud with the water that came out of her water release jutsu, they silently walked back to the market place and stopped by a meat stall. For a moment, Hinata forgot her personal worries and focused her attention to the small cutlets of meat displayed on a tray. Prodding one expertly with her forefinger, she tried to see if it was a good one.

"That's a good cut." Kakashi commented next to her.

"It is." The meat seller agreed with a broad smile. "You've got a fine eye there my man."

After choosing a few cuts, she paid the seller and they—once again—silently traced the dirt path that would lead them to their temporary shelter. As they were nearing the said place, she stole a glance at the tall man who was looking bored. His droopy uncovered eye glued to the path and his hands both deep inside his pockets.

_Say something._ A voice said somewhere in the depths of her mind. _Say something…just anything and start a conversation._

Hinata decided to take the advice and she opened her mouth to speak. She may have blurted out something lame but fortunately, Kakashi has beaten her into it. "What are you planning to cook?" The Jounin asked but he was not looking at her. It seems like he developed the habit of conversing while avoiding eye contact overnight.

"Uh…I plan on choosing between meat stew and grilled meat."

"Grilled meat sounds good."

She managed a smile. "T-then grilled meat will be our dinner for tonight."

"Yeah…_tonight_."

When they arrived, the man entered the bathroom and she started cooking. She sliced the meat while the sounds of running water came from the bathroom and filled her ears. The sound of running and splashing water was a little relaxing so she calmed her mind and began to fill the mini grill with charcoal.

And that's when she remembered something.

She forgot to buy rice. Grilled meat always goes well with rice. Hinata tapped her pockets and could hear coins. She guessed that it would be enough if buy some. Dropping the knife on the small table, she wiped her hands on a table cloth and walked out of the room in a hurry.

She retraced her steps back to the marketplace and started to look for a store that was selling grains. As she was wheeling her head back and forth, something caught her eye and she stopped. It was a book store, and one book in particular caught her attention.

It was an Icha-Icha paradise book…the same one that got wet when Kakashi saved her from the water lock jutsu.

Looking around to see that no one was really looking at her, she took the book daintily in one hand—she hasn't gotten over that time when she read it—and looked at the prize. The book was not very pricey but not cheap either. When she counted the coins inside her pocket, she sighed when it was just enough.

Guess there would be no rice to go with the grilled meat tonight.

With red cheeks, she bought the book while disregarding the amused look that was given to her by the bookseller. She knew that those who buy the book were mostly men—perverted men. Well, she was buying it for a man but the vendor doesn't know that so she swallowed the embarrassment and pretended that she doesn't care.

"So you are into that kind of literature? Naughty girl."

Hinata turned around. "Y-Yoda-sama."

"No sama…just san." Yoda smiled, flashing his pearly white teeth. "That honorific is beyond us since you are a guest here…don't you think?"

"Wh-whatever you say…Yoda-san." She replied. That was the advantage of the locals to nins. Their bodies were devoid of powerful chakra so nins cannot really detect them. Well, they can be detected in terms of movements but when it comes to chakra signature…it was hard. "Ano…" She subtly hid the book behind her.

"Where's your…partner?"

"Back at our assigned place. Do you need anything from Kakashi-san? I could tell him…I am about to—"

Yoda shook his head. "No…I have no business with the Copy Nin."

"Oh…"

"It's actually you that I have business with…Hyuga-san." The daimyo smiled again and she wondered if he was somehow related to Gai-sensei. His teeth flashed every time he showed them. Nodding thoughtfully, she waited for the man to continue. "Could you please come with me? It won't take long."

She wanted to tell him that she was still cooking dinner but figured that it would be impolite to refuse. Kakashi and her stomach have to wait. "W-what is it Yoda-san?" He started walking and his hand gestured for her to follow. It seems like he was not going to accept any refusal so she followed without a word. She hid the small book inside her pocket when he was not looking.

"I wanted to show you something." He said a few minutes later. "It's about the Kanake flower and I know it's important for your mission."

They were standing in front of a small building that looks similar with Konoha's herbal house were medic nins grew medicinal plants. It was made of wood but the roof was replaced with some sort of white netting. She could also smell compost and fertilizer. The place was isolated from the rest of the houses and it was also dark

"The smell was terrible so we have to build it far from the locals." Yoda pulled a small cloth out of his pocket and covered his nose. "I'm sorry…I'm allergic to the smell of fertilizer." He shrugged and laughed at his own health issue. Pushing the door with one hand, he gestured to her with another.

Yoda flicked the lights on and Hinata's eyes widened when she saw what's inside.

There were large bush-like plants everywhere decorated with big, beautiful flowers. She recognized it instantly to be the miraculous healing Kanake flower. Still in awe, she touched one and smelled it. "They're beautiful Yoda-san."

"Yes. The town treats them like a jewel." Yoda's eyes turned cold all of a sudden but she didn't see it. "The Kanake flower is a very rare plant that grows in these parts. We share the gift with the other villages like yours but I am too greedy to share the seeds…though I think it is understandable."

She turned her head on his direction.

"When you extract the nectar from its flowers, you can make yourself medicines of all sorts. Healing…antiseptic…you name it. And the smell of it alone could ease all the pain away...could also be used as a weapon actually."

"Smell?"

Yoda's eyes wrinkled at the sides—an indication that he was smiling. "Hai…just one whiff of those pollens and it could numb and paralyze your body Hyuga-san. The effects will last for only a day but still, for a Kunoichi, it would be a great problem right?" He watched as the girl staggered back and covered her nose. Her eyes grew big as she looked at him. "Oh I'm sorry…you already smelled one? My mistake for the late warning _Hime_."

Hinata felt her fingers grew numb and her knees started to shake. Mentally, she was very much aware of everything and she berated herself for trusting the guy too much. She thought that he was nice for Kakashi and Sakura have already done this mission last year and came back to the village unscathed. "Y-Yoda-san…" She gritted her teeth at the man who was just looking at her, still covering his nose.

She collapsed on the ground.

Yoda kneeled beside her and he removed a strand of hair from away from her face. "You caught my eye Hyuga-san…" He said, voice muffled behind the cloth. "You may be with the Copy Nin but I know my town inside out…I can lure him just as I lured you."

"Y-Yoda-san…" She managed. "W-we came here on good terms and you will be breaking the trust that was—uhmp." His big hand covered her mouth and she found herself being hoisted up. Her body felt like stone and her eyes were getting blurry. Yoda carried her with ease and she tried to let her chakra build on her hands but failed. Her body was not responding to her will and she realized with dread that she has been outsmarted.

The man planned it well.

When they were outside the herbal house, Yoda covered her eyes with the cloth he used to cover his nose. He also bound her wrists for good measure. The pretty lass was a Kunoichi after all. She may have something up her sleeve and used it later. Nins are a sneaky bunch so he doesn't trust her to act like a damsel in distress. "Just behave….and you might like what I have in store for you." He whispered on her ear.

**-o-o-o-**

_Happy New Year!_

_Still sleepy but managed to write a chapter… __ hope you like it guys._

_Please review._

_-crazygurl12_


	15. Chapter 15

_It's cold outside…I need a parka just like Shino-kun…_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Fifteen

Hinata found herself inside a room that was lavishly decorated. She guessed instantly that it was the daimyo's quarters. The walls were draped with silken curtains and the floor with black carpet. Yoda carried her to this place and he dropped her unceremoniously on the bed. She gasped when the back of her head hit the wall instead of the soft cushion making her see flashing lights in the back of her eyes.

The man was a fool. He was going to break the peaceful connection of this town with Konoha for her? Just her? A weak Kunoichi that can't even stand up for herself in this pitiful state? There must be a deeper reason behind all this. Blinking her eyes to clear them from the tears that were brought up by pain, she focused them on the man who was looking at her intently.

"You are a Byakugan user am I right?"

She stared. Was he expecting her to answer? Her mouth was covered…

"White eyes…Konoha's Hyuga…good dojutsu users." Yoda chanted like a verse. He was holding his chin thoughtfully as his head bobbed like he was nodding. "But I never expected a pretty face to hold such queer yet beautiful eyes." The evil glint in his eyes was obvious as he studied her form. "Do you know that my parents were killed by a Hyuga?" He asked. "I never met my parents but my relatives said that it was a Hyuga nin who killed them. Believe me, I always thought after that anyone from the Hyuga are ugly…blood thirsty people."

All Hinata could do was listen.

"But look at you…so innocent looking…so nice." There was a sarcastic smile and she started to sweat. "I never laid eyes on a Hyuga before but now that I did…I couldn't just take them off. I might be even willing to forgive your blood for killing my parents."

Hinata managed a startled squeak as the man seated himself beside her. Her body was immobilized and it felt terrible to know that she can't do anything to protect herself. Unconsciously, her mind was screaming Kakashi's name. She was hoping that he will find her somehow…that her absence would somehow trigger for him to look for her.

She was hoping…

But was she important enough that the Copy Nin would grow worried by just a short period of time after she disappeared?

Calloused fingers touched her face. It was a gentle gesture but it made her cringe. She doesn't like being touched by this man and his nearness just unnerves her. Slowly, his fingers trailed down to her neck and she almost bit her own tongue to hold herself together.

To her relief, his fingers didn't trail much lower but crept up again to tug the cloth from her mouth. The moment she could speak freely, she tries to reason with him. "Yoda-san…you might break the ties between this town and Konoha. You might risk the safety of your people and—"

He placed a finger over her mouth and he chuckled deeply. "What Konoha won't know won't hurt them Hyuga-san."

"There are w-witnesses."

"My locals…my people. They fear me. They won't try to get on my bad side."

"Y-Yoda-san…I won't—ah!" She yelped when his hand grabbed her hair and pulled her head up. Yoda was smiling but the smile made everything about him seems creepier and dangerous. She closed her eyes when he leaned in closer, sniffing her scent and stopped by her neck. She almost whimpered in disgust when he placed his warm mouth on top of her collar bone and suck.

"Let me mark this pale skin." His deep voice rumbled as he found another spot to suck and tampered the white skin with his mark. It happened a few more times that Hinata almost sobbed. She was disgusted and the way his hands held her close made her feel so helpless. Yoda's mouth started making trails on the hollow of her neck and was slowly making its way upwards. Hinata clenched her eyes shut and pressed her lips together. She knew where this harassment was going and she can do nothing about it.

So she was going to lose her womanhood to this man?

With the new realization on her head, a mental image of Kakashi kissing her and dropping her on the bed appeared inside her mind. Somehow, that encounter was more preferable than this one and it made her even wish that Kakashi should have continued his trespassing back then. She would honestly prefer the Copy Nin anytime with the man who was holding her right now.

_Kakashi…_

_Kakashi…_

There was a small grunt from Yoda and she yelped when his body dropped on top of her, almost knocking the breath out from her lungs with his weight. She knew the inevitable was coming but when she felt no movement whatsoever from her host-turned-assailant, she opened her eyes.

"The bastard." Kakashi said when their eyes met. He was standing there with his hair still wet and a small vase on hand. The white vase has a few spot of fresh blood which only means that it was the reason why the daimyo was unconscious. "Are you alright Hinata-chan?" He pushed the man away from her rather harshly. Yoda dropped on the carpeted floor with a groan.

She was not alright, she wanted to cry or scream. She was angry and so disgusted yet seeing him standing in front of her looking so worried made her feel instant relief that for a split second, she thought she doesn't even care. "K-Kakashi-san…I can't move."

He nodded but didn't question her. He scooped her up like a still doll and slung her over his broad shoulder. He silently made his way out of the room while making sure that no guards or anyone could see them. He didn't use any door then, for he leaped out of the window and into the trees.

When he dropped to the ground, Kakashi placed her gently on the grass. When he did, she caught his glowing sharingan with a spinning tomoe. She wanted to ask how he managed to find her but what came out of her mouth was "Why did we stop?"

"I'm going back."

Hinata's eyes grow big. Despite the darkness, she could see his face clearly. He was wearing his mask but she knew that his jaw was set. "No!" She gasped. If she could move, she would have reached out for him. Grab his sleeve and stop him from making a mistake. Besides, he was going to leave her in this open forest alone?

"Trust me." Kakashi said and his hands performed a few hand seals. He then bit his thumb and slammed his palm on the ground. Hinata recognized it as a summoning jutsu. Gray smoke appeared the moment Kakashi's hand hit the earth and a pack of dogs appeared. There were a total of seven dogs and they all looked at the Copy Nin expectantly.

There was a pug—the smallest ninken of all—who yawned. "Yo Kakashi." It said and Hinata stared at the dog with wonder. Kiba's ninken—Akamaru—could not speak so it surprised her to see this ninja dog speaking the human language. "What's the problem?"

Kakashi pointed at her. "Pakkun, watch her for me. I'll return shortly. She can't move so she can't defend herself. All of you…watch the girl and protect her."

The dog lolled his head to the side and blinks its big, droopy eyes at her. "Oh…her _again_."

Hinata saw him pull out a kunai and it glinted evilly. If he was going back, he may put his self in danger—no, both of them—for she knew that the guards were aware of what Yoda was doing since they just kept their mouths shut when they saw the daimyo dragging her to his quarters. They should use this chance to leave…grab a Kanake flower then flee.

"K-Kakashi-san." She sought his eyes. "Why are you going back?"

"Two things. I'm going to get us a Kanake flower. A pot and seed this time and not just the bud since I don't think we can return next year. "He stared into her white eyes. "Second, I'm going to get back at him for what he did with you."

"Why…why don't you just do the first? F-forget getting back at him." She asked hopefully. There was no need for getting back to the man. He was already unconscious. Besides, once they were able to return to the village and tell the Hokage about what happened, she was sure that Tsunade was going to do something about it. Kakashi shook his head and a small chuckle escaped from his throat.

"I can't allow that."

"You can." She tried for one last time.

Kakashi seems to study her for a moment before he leaned forward. He stopped when his mask touched her right ear. The light cloth was smooth but when it touched her skin, she felt as if the material was made of fire. Lingering there for a moment, he whispered. "I can't do that."

"Oy, scarecrow." Pakkun said. "You are in a hurry yes?"

Then to Hinata's surprise, Kakashi pressed his mask on her cheek. Even with the small cloth that serves as some sort of barrier for their skin, she could feel the outline of his lips and nose. She could hear his steady breathing and could even feel his warmth. The Copy Nin was so close…very close.

She doesn't mind.

It would have made her awkward and embarrassed again but after experiencing Yoda's touches, she would welcome this kind of trespassing from the Hatake anytime. It was such a wanton thought but her mind doesn't lie…her heart doesn't lie. It was what she was feeling and no matter how wanton and embarrassing, she would have to accept it.

Kakashi's body flickered and he disappeared from sight. Hinata was left with the ninken pack who circled her immobilized form like a fence. A lot of thick bushy plants and shrubs grew around the clearing so she trusts that as long as they don't make a sound, they were good as invisible.

They just have to wait until Kakashi comes back.

"You don't get old…" The small pug who was sitting on top of another dog said and it took her a moment to realize that it was talking to her. She pondered his question for a moment because it doesn't make sense. "You're still the same." He said again.

"Wh-what?"

"You are Hinata Hyuga right?"

"I am." Her forehead creased. Kakashi's ninken knew her name and it was weird. She racked her brains for any lost memories or anything to give her some clue but nothing useful came out of it. If anything, it only made her head ache. "H-How did you know my name?"

"I met you…Kakashi's Anbu days."

Anbu days? The dog must be mistaken. "Kakashi-san was already a Jounin when I entered the academy…it must be a different person."

The pug shook his head. His wrinkled face moving in a comical kind of way. She would have laugh if she was not confused and if they were not in a dangerous and risky situation at the moment. "The same smell. My nose never fails me." Pakkun then peered at her. "Why did you disappear?"

"Disappear?"

Hinata frowned. The dog was insistent but she was sure that he was referring to another person. She never met Kakashi as an Anbu. Maybe she was not even born yet during his Anbu days...or maybe she was already a toddler but she wasn't sure. And if she did saw him, how would she knew for Anbu always hide their identity to people and—

_The hallucinations…_

Hinata blinked when the thought struck her. She knew what Kakashi looks like when he was Anbu…she saw it in her "hallucinations". She saw how he would look when he was the same age as her…she even heard his voice.

Now that she pondered about it, she realized that when she admitted her weird "hallucinations" to the Copy Nin, he said that she was not crazy and he even assured her that everything would be alright. He didn't consider it as odd but treated it knowingly and with understanding.

_Hallucinations or memories?_

"Ano…" Her voice turned small. "What's your name?"

"Pakkun."

"Pakkun…h-how old is K-Kakashi when I disappeared?"

"Just like you are now." The pug answered and his big eyes looking against her with question. She never knew a dog could be this…human-like. Not in physicality but in speech. "He was just as old as you. Don't you remember?"

_**Time is against us…**_

"And me…?"

"Just the way that you are now."

_**Time is against us…**_

_**Time is against us…**_

_**Time is against us…**_

Hinata gasped and her heart literally stopped beating. "K-Kakashi-kun."

**-o-o-o-**

_Just a quickie update…_

_Btw…my SasuHina fic "__**Sweet Union**__" is about to end so I decided to write a __**GaaHina**__ fic next. What do you guys think?_

_-crazygurl12_


	16. Chapter 16

_Lol…I agree guys. Pakkun is the Pug!_

_Btw…since I received a lot of messages telling me that some of my dear readers were always checking their emails for update, I decided to post on my profile my expected update dates so that it would be much easier for you guys…I will also post there if I'm going to have any delays in posting and etc. okay?_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Sixteen

"Hey. Are you still breathing?" Pakkun asked as he lolled his head to the side and stared at the girl who was suddenly quiet. She was talking a moment ago and was asking him questions. It was a little confusing for she was asking him the things that she should know because…well, it's about herself. "You're not breathing."

Hinata's heart was beating like crazy and she looks back at the pug. The moment she realized that the hallucinations were memories, images and flashbacks then flooded her head so fast it almost gave her whiplash. Her head was reeling and if she could only move, she would have retched.

"K-Kakashi." She muttered and didn't say anymore. The ninken pack continued to sniff and circle around her so she closed her eyes and waited for the man who has a lot of explaining to do. Her heart was still beating faster than the normal rate so she tried to ease it down by taking deep breathes.

This was crazy… everything was crazy.

So she was in love with Hatake Kakashi?

When Kakashi returned, her thoughts however where temporarily forgotten when she saw the dark stain on his shirt. He was holding a small cloth bag on his right hand and a glinting kunai on the left. "We need to hurry." Gesturing for the seven dogs to go first, he bent over her and patted her pocket. "Any space for this?" He asked. "Kanake seeds."

"A-Are you wounded?" Hinata asked. The metallic scent of blood was filling her nose and her eyes roamed around his form to check for any visible wounds. It was a futile attempt for it was dark but she continued to scan him.

"They assigned men outside our room so I can't get our packs. Well I could but it would take time so let's just forget about it." Kakashi said. He inserted the small bag in her pocket and hoisted her up. He did it gently but was also fast.

"Are you w-wounded?"

"My ninken will make a diversion so we can head east—"

"Kakashi-san!" Hinata's voice raised a few octaves. She would have called him Kakashi-kun but he doesn't need the distraction. It was not the right time and place to call him that. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she asked again. "Are you wounded?" Either Kakashi has some serious hearing complications or he was just avoiding the question.

"Hinata-chan—"

"T-There's blood on your shirt and—"

Kakashi started running and he was weaving through the trees and shrubs so fast, she could hear the wind whistling past her ears. She was still hanging limply on his shoulder but his strong hands secured her on place. "It's not my blood." His voice has an undertone of anger in it. "It's Yoda's."

"You killed him?" Her eyes widened.

"No…Kali still needs a daimyo. I only left him a parting gift."

Whatever that parting gift was, Hinata was sure that it was not pleasant. Gasping a little after the Copy Nin leaped to the branches, she closed her eyes and asked. "What did you do?"

"I castrated him."

To that, Hinata found no words to say but her eyes tuned bigger… and if it was even possible, she grew more still than she already were. Kakashi's voice was grim that it was not hard to believe him—though she was still hoping that he was just joking and no castration took place. Yoda deserves it but it might also be too much.

As she was hanging on his shoulder like a rag doll, she has decided not to say anything about her "recovered" memories yet. She was honestly scared and there was no hint of what his reaction might be. Telling him was also admitting that something more than a student-teacher relationship was taking place between them.

Something more…supernatural.

And she can't imagine Kakashi even humoring that kind of relationship. He was a picture of a lone wolf. A girl—especially almost half his age—could not step up to the standards he might want with a woman. Telling him was just the start of a big mess and even if he did "humor" her revelation, what would Konoha have to say?

Besides, it was years ago and Kakashi was young back then. He might have gotten over that weird time skip and would not even bother looking back.

She remembered…she remembered a lot of things, from the time-skipping thing to her deal with the Fourth Hokage. She remembered the Anbu that was always by her side and the redhead Uzumaki who served as her older sister during her stay at the Namikaze era. But even if she did, she was sure that there were a lot of things that were left blank. Some missing pieces… a few missing parts.

Kakashi-kun could help her with that…

But would he?

Kakashi continued tree-hoping until they reached the end of Kali's forest. The ninkens were nowhere near Hinata's field of vision but she could hear their barks and occasional growls. There were voices too—human voices. She knew they belong to Kali's guards but after a few minutes, she could hear them no more.

That only means that Kakashi has put enough distance between them and the guards.

A few more minutes and the older Jounin stopped. He then placed her down on the earth without saying anything. When the ninkens caught up with them, Kakashi was already seated by her without his mask—showing her once again the beauty that could be considered as temptation for all females.

"Close call." Kakashi said as Pakkun and the other ninja dogs approached. The Pug's eyes were on Hinata, still observing and cautious. Maybe their conversation earlier still confuses the dog or maybe it was also the fact that Kakashi was showing the girl his face. Pakkun never saw his contractor showing his face to anybody with ease. "You can return now. Sorry for the trouble."

"Don't mention it scarecrow." Pakkun said before he and the rest of his pack disappeared after a gray cloud of smoke.

With a small groan, Kakashi removed his black shirt that was stained with the now dried blood. The smell was starting to get on his nerves and he can't stand it especially if it reminded him of that bastard Yoda. Tossing the shirt on the ground, he gave the girl next to him a sideway glance.

She was not saying anything.

Did he scare her again when he…kissed her cheek? Was that even considered a kiss? He has his mask on and his lips never touched her face. It was not actually a planned gesture for he wasn't even aware that he was doing it after he realized that it was already done. It was a spur of the moment for him and she looks so scared and concerned and—

_The hell with it._

"Don't worry. We are outside their borders now and I will know if those guards are still following." He said, glancing at her motionless form again. "I guess no dinner for us tonight." He added in a lighter tone. The air around them was starting to get a little thick so he made the first step to lighten it up.

No need to dampen their mood for they were already in a bad situation.

Hinata's white eyes shifted from the dark sky to stare at his mismatch ones. She was looking at him in a peculiar kind of way that he frowned slightly. It was like she was contemplating something. She opened her mouth as if to speak but closed it again like she changed her mind. Finally, she settled for a restrained smile. "H-Hai…no dinner for us. " She said.

Kakashi caught the light shiver on her voice.

"Those meat cutlets would have been delicious." He said like an afterthought. "By the way…Your body—"

"Yoda said that I can move again after a day." Hinata tried to wiggle her fingers but they felt like she was moving rocks. "So…I have to be l-like this for a few more hours."

"I'll take care of you."

Hinata's heart jumped. She tried not to show it on her face and was very thankful that the darkness was a good enough cover for her red cheeks. Kakashi said the words simply but it brought such a different effect on her body…

On her mind…

On her heart.

Blinking her eyes in an effort to clear the fuzziness of her vision, she took a deep breath. Her Kakashi-kun was now a grown up man and she was nothing but the same teenage girl.

"Uhm…So." Kakashi lolled his head to the side. "Did Yoda…?"

"No. Y-you came just in time to save me Kakashi-san_."_

"Good." His red eye's tomoe was still spinning so he closed it. "I'm actually having second thoughts on letting that man live. It was really tempting to just bury a kunai deep in his chest." As he said the words, Kakashi looked around the open space, trying to decipher which direction to take. There were trees but widely spaced and won't make a good shelter. He estimated that it would be a good few miles before they could reach a cover of another forest. Hinata was still immobile so she will rely mostly for his help.

And if the guards decided to pursue, it would be hard for him to fight back because his attention would surely be divided into two.

Her and the guards.

"I suggest we continue." He said after picking up his discarded shirt then rolled it. He has no packs with him, thus no spare clothes, so even if he hated the sight of Yoda's blood on his clothing, he has no choice but to suck it up.

But he was not wearing it until he could find a stream or river to wash it.

Bending down, he slowly took Hinata's arms and lifted her up. He didn't put her on his shoulders this time because their pursuers—if they were still being pursued—were far enough not to be of danger to them. Instead, he held her unmoving form on his arms like he was carrying a child.

Call him odd but he actually likes seeing her face in a close distance.

At first, Hinata's breath hitched in her throat when she felt herself being pressed on Kakashi's chest. Her right cheek was plastered near his neck and she could feel his pulse and hear his heartbeat. When he started running again, she closed her eyes for there was nothing she could do and there were no more words to say anyway.

He said that he was going to take care of so her and so she will let him.

"Sleepy?" Kakashi asked.

"Safe." Hinata murmured before drifting into a slumber that was brought more by mental exhaustion than the Kanake flower's immobilizing gift.

When she opened her eyes again, she was honestly surprised to find that it was already morning. The sun was high above her head and she squinted when the the blinding rays hit her sensitive eyes. She was lying on the ground and her body still stiff as wood. When she tried moving her fingers, she was glad that they were now responsive. It also was the same with her toes. Her legs and arms however was a totally different case—they felt heavy and numb.

The effect of the flower was starting to wane but it seems like she has to wait for a few more hours.

"Ohayo Hinata-chan."

Her eyes roamed around before spotting the Hatake who was sitting just an arm's reach away from her. He was resting his back on a large tree trunk and his hair was dripping wet. His shirt was also wet and the dark stain of blood on it last night was gone.

Hinata saw the droplets of water form on Kakashi's chin. It made her aware of the bubbling sound coming from her left. So they were near a river or something? "K-Kakashi-san…" She managed. "Where are we?"

"I made a lot of progress when you're still asleep." Kakashi shook his wet hair and tiny droplets of water sprinkled everywhere. Some ended on Hinata's cheeks and forehead, making her blink. "I continued traveling the whole night and I found a river. I was a little lost because we have been chased to the opposite path that we came from. So left with little choice, I followed it."

She blinks at him owlishly, pretending to listen while her eyes were on his throat. She was staring at his adam's apple and was quite entranced at the way it was bobbing up and down every time he speaks. "And by good luck…I realized that I was actually following a shortcut." Kakashi ended his explanation with a smile. "If we continue my pace last night, we will reach Konoha within a day and a half."

"T-that's good." Hinata found herself mumbling. The expected travel time to Konoha was three days. And after last night, Kakashi managed to close the distance by just a day and a half. She has a feeling that he never rested and traveled the whole night—with a heavy burden on his hands.

She sighed.

Kakashi raised his eyebrows.

"Gomenasai…y-you have to carry me the whole—"

"Don't mention it." He said before she could finish. He stared at her fixedly. He was wearing no mask so he let his face be impassive just to be sure that no emotions leaked out. "I said I'll take care of you." The Hyuga brought her eyes down and it made him realize that he was looking at her too intensely…too serious. Slowly, he let his eyes dropped too.

Then saw some some kind of red dot on her neck.

He frowned and without much of a thought, he leaned forward and squinted. If Hinata was confused of his weird behavior, she said nothing so he continued to stare. Then out of curiosity and suspicion—for he was already suspecting what it was— he reached out and tugged on the collar of her shirt.

"K-Kakashi-san?"

He pulled the cloth gently, revealing more red spots on her neck and down to her collar bone. He mentally cursed and his dark eye—for he covered his sharingan with his hair—flashed with grim acknowledgement. Yeah…he should have just shove a kunai on Yoda's chest and not his groin. "Kiss marks." He muttered. It surprised him how he sounded so annoyed when he tried hard not to sound like it.

"Gomenasai." Hinata muttered though she was confused as to what she was apologizing for.

"He must have enjoyed it." Kakashi muttered too, also confused why he had to add the last sentence.

After realizing the words that they so unconsciously blurted out, both Konohan nins bit the inside of their cheeks and awkward silence engulf them once more. The only sounds that they could hear were the soft bubbling water and rustling of leaves. There was also the occasional chirping of birds and insects.

Then Hinata's stomach growled.

It was so embarrassing that her eyes widened and blood crept up to her cheeks. If she could only move her hands, she would have covered her face—or maybe even ran for cover just to hide her embarrassment. But when she glanced at the copy nin with red cheeks, he just laughed.

"Hungry?" He produced something brown and suspicious looking_ thing_ from his pocket. "It's mushroom. I ate the same thing earlier and saved some for you."

Hinata continued to stare at the _thing_.

Kakashi laughed again, finding her expression adorable. "It may be a little different from a Hyuga _Hime_'s usual food but I assure you, it tastes good once you try it. It's just plain old mushroom…I roasted it so it looks like that." He crawled next to her and tore the fungi into two."Say ahh."

She opened her mouth obediently and Kakashi fed her the mushroom. After a few seconds of chewing, she coughed and choked. Eating while lying on her back was hard and Kakashi—upon realizing her problem—lifted her head up and rested it on his lap.

Then she looked up at the same time that he looked down, making their eyes met.

_Good lord._

"Kakashi-ku—"

"Here you go." He placed a small piece of roasted mushroom inside her mouth and looked away from her eyes. He heard her chew and gagged before swallowing. She was about to say something but he decided not to hear it. Hinata was so close and he was really, really tempted to…put a kiss mark on her neck

It honestly pissed him big time that Yoda has beaten him into it.

Slowly taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his senses and gave his perverted self a reason. Logical thinking was needed in these kinds of situation and he really needs to be careful. He must stop making unconscious advances towards Hinata for she must think of him as a perverted old man already.

He has to stop that 'invisible' connection that was growing between them. He was not a fool. He could feel the intense attraction in the air every time the distance between them was thin. Maybe it was mostly _his_ 'attraction' but he was almost sure that somehow, Hinata was feeling it too.

But really… has to stop it for both of their sakes. Well, mostly for him anyway. Hinata was young…she will treat it as some kind of teenage crush or something and it won't be a big deal. She could even call it as a "phase."

Kakashi tore another piece of mushroom when he heard Hinata swallow. "Open up."

She shook her head.

"Come on…it tastes better than it looks right?"

Hinata opened her mouth to say something but was blocked when the Copy Nin shove another piece of overcooked mushroom in her throat. Kakashi was not joking when he mentioned that he was a terrible cook. For a brief moment, she wondered if he was trying to suffocate her.

Left with no choice, she began to chew for a few times and swallowed. "I do—"

"Do you want me to get you water?" He asked, subtly cutting her words again. What was his issue this time? It was almost as if he was trying not to hear her voice…

"Ano Kakashi—"

"The water's fresh."

That was the last straw. "Kakashi-kun!" Hinata blurted out, voice rising as she stared at the man with a white-eyed glare. When she saw him froze—his jaw hanging ever so slightly—she knew she just made a terrible mistake. She called him "kun" without much of a thought—an action brought by a disturbed mind and of course…annoyance.

"What did you call me?"

**-o-o-o-**

_Here ends the chapter._

_Urgh! Classes._

_-crazygurl12_


	17. Chapter 17

_Thank you for the reviews! Sorry for the delay in updates… stupid math problems made my brain go blank. By the way, please check my new fic : __**Married to the Kazekage.**__ It's GaaHina …_

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in Naruto._

-o-o-o-

Chapter Seventeen

Hinata flinched.

Kakashi stiffened and he looked down on her, trying to see her eyes. Hinata was that kind of person that could be easily read. Her face was like a portrait of her emotions and all you need to do was to look at her and you'll know what was inside her mind. The girl however, seems to suspect what he was trying to do and she diverted her eyes away from him.

"Did you call me…?" Kakashi was about to ask the dreadful question so Hinata laughed nervously and it made him stop. He was still looking at her with a suspicious frown. "What's funny Hinata-chan?"

"Oh…my mind seems a little messed up." She laughed again, but this time, a little more convincing than the first for there was truth in her words. Her mind was really messed up at the moment. "I just made a mistake of calling you Kakashi—kun…Gomenasai. That should have been very o-offensive and—"

"I am not offended."

"Oh…O-Okay. Is there any more mushroom?" She hated the taste and the texture of the mushroom but she wanted something to make her mouth busy than blurting out words that were not supposed to be said…_yet_. It was best to kept her lips locked because she was still confused and everything was just so crazy she doesn't want to stepped into that 'craziness' yet.

Kakashi said nothing but pulled out another poorly roasted mushroom and just like what he did to the first; he tore it into small pieces and put some on her mouth. Her head was still resting on his lap and she got to admit that she liked the contact. She was still avoiding his suspicious look and was pretending that what she said doesn't mean anything.

After she finished eating the dreadful fungi, Kakashi let her drink some spring water and a few minutes after that; he suggested that they continue on their way. She agreed, since staying in the open was not the safest thing to do and she feared that staying with the Copy Nin in one place with her head on his lap, and his face just inches above from hers was going to drive her to insanity.

It was just too much.

Kakashi carried her again and bound through the trees without a hint of fatigue from last night's run. He was still very fast and never mentioned that he was tired or she was heavy even once, instead, he would discuss things about their mission like what to tell Tsunade and about their stolen Kanake seeds…also about Yoda's lustful advances towards her.

Hinata would listen, responding every now and then in simple sentence. Every time she speaks, she would pause for a moment just so she could double check each word that was about to come out of her mouth. After the 'Kakashi-kun' incident, she just has to be more on guard.

They traveled for a few more hours until they reached some kind of open space and a dirt road. After a short pause for some kind of argument about following the dirt road or not—Hinata decided to agree since she was immobile and there was no way she can walk on her own without Kakashi's help—they followed the path anyway.

It continued until late afternoon. She told Kakashi many times that he should rest but he was not listening to her. He said that he was fine and has been in situations worse than the one they were facing now. Actually, what Hinata feared was not just Kakashi's strained body but also the pace that they were going. If Kakashi continued like this, they were going to reach Konoha by midnight.

Was he that eager to part ways with her?

"K-Kakashi-san." She started. "Ano…c-could you please put me down?." A few minutes ago, she started moving her legs after the numbness disappeared and to her delight, they responded. And now she wanted to test if her whole body was now responsive and moving.

Kakashi stopped and gently placed her on the ground. They were still following the dirt path and they were currently on the middle of it. "Why?"

Hinata wanted to tell him two reasons but decided to omit one when she explained it to him. Kakashi won't like it if she told him that she wanted him to rest. "I think…my body is capable of moving now." Words said, she started to lift her arms. They were wobbly but still moving. She smiled in relief and started to move her legs, wincing when the blood flow returned to its normal circulation. "Ow." She muttered.

Her legs felt like they were being pierced by needles.

Kakashi saw her expression and he sat next to her. "Here…let me help you." He pulled both of her feet on his lap and he removed his leather gloves from his hands. Taking her sandals off, he started massaging her right foot. "It's going to help the blood flow." He said, hands moving expertly as he pressed on the nerve points.

The painful feeling started to minimize as Kakashi worked his way up to her knee. She said nothing but stared at him, taking the chance to truly study him without him looking back at her with those mismatched eyes. Kakashi was focused on returning the feeling on her legs so he was not aware that she was staring at him with…longing.

Hinata's hand started to reach for his face, hidden behind the mask again. But before she could touch it, she snapped out from her almost-entranced state and started to pull back. Kakashi was not aware of such gesture so it was better that she act like noth—

"Oh!" a hand caught her wrist, making her yelp. When she looked up, Kakashi's eyes were on her while his left hand was holding her wrist firmly so she can't pull back. They stared into each other's eyes. One scared and surprised, the other filled with suspicion.

Hinata decided to do a double take. She was not a liar but lying just this once won't hurt. "I saw a mosquito on your forehead and I was about to…to…" She trailed, eyes turning bigger when Kakashi gently placed her hand to his cheek and held it there. His eyes were on her, watching her expression.

"K-Kakashi-san…" Hinata muttered.

"You are a terrible liar." He accused.

"Ano…I am just—" Kakashi did not gave her another chance to speak. He pulled her other arm, grabbed her neck, and pressed his covered lips against her own. Hinata could do nothing but whimper, her eyes turning big and body frozen as her cheeks suddenly heated. Her heart began to race and her lips felt like they were touching fire.

When Kakashi let go of her arm, he used that free hand to tug away the mask from his face. He was still holding her neck firmly in place just in case she tries to move away. Kakashi was not an oblivious idiot, he was suspecting something and he wanted to test it out. As selfish as it sounds, he really needs to clarify that suspicion.

Hinata was doing her best to hide something from him and it seems like making her speak was not enough since she was so guarded with her words.

Aching legs forgotten, Hinata closed her eyes as her mind suddenly turned black. Her arms hung limply on her sides as she allowed the Copy Nin to have access to her mouth. She could feel his warm and soft lips against her own and it was enough to make her forget where she was at the moment.

"K-Kakashi-kun." She unconsciously whispered.

Kakashi suddenly pushed her back. He did not push her hard but just enough to break their contact. Mind still fuzzy, she blinked at him owlishly—lips still parted and face flushed.

He was looking at her accusingly. "I was right." He said it like an announcement. The moment he returned back from stealing the Kanake seeds, he felt something was different in Hinata. Even Pakkun was acting weird that night. She was still the same but something changed in her. He could feel it.

He could feel it when he was feeding her the mushrooms.

He could feel it when she reached out to touch his face. She may not know it but he was aware of the longing looks she was giving him when she thought that he wasn't looking.

And now, the kiss confirmed just confirmed his suspicions. "You remember about us…don't you Hinata?"

**-o-o-o-**

Tsunade studied the two Konohans with a critical eye. Hinata was looking down on the floor like she was literally hoping that it would swallow her whole while Kakashi was just standing next to the girl, hands in his pockets and visible eye schooled into an impassive face. The man wasn't even bothering to hide his 'tense' aura with his usual lazy slouch.

_Oh something happened alright…_

"You two look like hell." She finally commented after hearing their reports. Well, it was mostly Kakashi who was talking for the Hyuga was just like a confirmer, nodding her blue nest of a hair every now and then to support the Copy Nin's accounts. "But I am still glad that you made it back unharmed." She touched the leather pouch of Kanake seeds. "And you managed to steal from that perverted daimyo."

"What will you do about Yoda?" Kakashi asked.

"I'll send a few nins…demand for some fines and of course, I'm going to send him a contract that shows he won't be under agreement with the leaf anymore. Kali is now out of Konoha's hair. We won't provide any help with protection anymore…and such." Tsunade leaned back on her chair, head gears running wild. "We can't allow that to a Hyuga hime."

Hinata squeaked something inaudible but managed to say thank you before looking down again. Tsunade watched in amazement as this entertaining show of awkwardness was displaying itself in front of her. There was something that they were not telling her…some missing facts.

But she was willing to let it pass today. It seems like the Hyuga and Hatake have some sorting out to do with themselves and she can wait. Besides, she has a vague idea of what had occurred between them on their Kali mission.

_So did the girl remember her past encounters with the time traveling jutsu? If she did, what was Kakashi's reaction? _Tsunade's mind was full of questions but knowing Kakashi, she won't get anything out of him when he decided left something out—and just by looking at Hinata's face, the Hokage realized that she was not getting any information from her either.

She sighed, feeling irritated to be left out of her own plans. She let them be together in purpose to test something out but it seems that she has to wait for a few days to see the results—just be an observer for a while in the shadows until something quite interesting happens. "Okay." She pulled out a file on her desk and grabbed the paychecks she had prepared for the said mission. "Here's your paychecks and report papers. I need all the paperwork done within three days. It should be on my desk by…"Tsunade trailed, diverting her glare to a small calendar on the wall. "Thursday morning."

Hinata accepted the files but Tsunade could not help raising her eyebrows when the Hyuga passed one to Kakashi—who accepted it without a word. They were not even looking at each other and it is _so _not obvious that something happened between.

And that was not even counting the thick aura of quandary that filled the room. It was so thick she wondered if she could do a dive and swim on it. "Alright." Tsunade gave the odd pair one last look and almost laughed. She never saw Kakashi this formal. In normal times, the bastard's face would be buried on Jaraiya's pornography books. "I give you permission to leave and rest. I won't give you any job this week, just the mission reports."

"Arigatou Tsunade-sama." Hinata said, bowing her head as Kakashi just gave the Hokage a curt nod.

When both nins turned their back on her, an almost sinister smile played on Tsunade's lips. She can't wait how this little experiment of hers will turn out.

Kakashi observed the girl who has her head bowed low in the corner of his right eye. He sighed and shook his head—wanting to clear his thoughts just in case he loses his hold on the tiniest thread of his control. Their way back to the village was a total mental strain it almost drove him nuts. He would gladly choose an S-class mission anytime that to repeat what happened a few hours ago. It was mind-wrecking.

But he assured himself that it was better this way.

The silence continued to get in between them until they reached the exit of the first floor. He figured that at least he could say a nice and polite good bye before they part ways. Stopping on his track with both of his hands still deep in his pockets, he turned and faced her. "Ah…"

Hinata has beaten him into it. "Arigatou for everything you did on the mission…and for saving me." She bowed lower and Kakashi was tempted to reach out and touch her face and tell her that he was sorry for what he said to her a few hours ago. Sorry for hurting her and making her cry.

To avoid doing what his mind was screaming at him to do, Kakashi clenched his hands inside his pockets, almost tearing the fabric. "You're welcome." He answered. A rough edge on his voice and he has to clear his throat. He saw her pull out something from her jacket pocket and clumsily shoved it on his face. He accepted what she was giving him and looked down to see what it was.

An Icha-Icha paradise book.

"T-to replace the one that got destroyed in the water lock jutsu." She explained and looked away. "See you around Kakashi…_sense_i." With her last word still ringing in his ears, Hinata leaped away and used the rooftops as her escaped route, not even bothering to hear what he has to say.

So they were back on the_ sensei_ thing again huh?

Kakashi continued to stare at the book, his senses numb and brain blank. He got a feeling that she was going to avoid him now. Well…he literally asked her to do that didn't he? So he must face the consequences of his own demands. "Take care of yourself _Hime_." He muttered and walked to the direction of his own apartment.

-**o-o-o-**

_Here ends the chap. Please review! Estimated update dates on my profile._

_-crazygurl12_


	18. Chapter 18

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Eighteen

(f) _Hinata fisted her hands on the end of her jacket as she looked at Kakashi with tear-soaked eyes. This was really confusing for her right now because Kakashi was suddenly like a changed man. The moment she admitted the truth, he tensed and looked at her like she was a totally different person. "I…I don't know what you mean."_

"_Forget everything about the past." Kakashi responded, looking the other way around. She knew that he was just doing that to avoid looking into her eyes. It was a funny actually, because he was trying so hard to avoid her gaze while she was trying to lock his mismatched eyes with hers._

"_W-why…? I remembered all those things just t-to forget them?"_

"_The Fourth did not make you forget if it was not essential. Minato-sensei did not erase your memories for nothing Hinata." He decided to skip off the honorific since there was no need for politeness…for pretenses. The moment Hinata regained her memories; it also brought up their past connection from the ashes._

"_B-but….Kakashi—"_

_Kakashi shook his head. "There is nothing between us. What happened to us within the mission was not because I know of our past encounters…it was just an accidental slip of control—in my part." _(f)

Hinata pressed her face on her pillow. She was still sprawled on her bed even though it was hours past her usual wake-up time. The Hokage said that she has a few days for herself after fulfilling the mission so she was going to make the most of it. With a sigh, she tried to focus her mind at something different than thinking about what happened to her and the Copy Nin.

Of course she has cried herself to sleep on the first night that she arrived, but later told herself that maybe…Kakashi was right. Everything that happened between them in the past was just a memory…and those things that happened in the mission were just because…well, Kakashi was a man so he tends to be vulnerable every now and then.

Kiba once told her that men tend to do that. Even the Inouzuka has his 'moments of lose control' and maybe Kakashi was just…riding the spur of the moment back then.

But still…she was really disappointed and somehow—her chest hurt.

A part of her mind could not help asking what was she really disappointed and hurting about… was she expecting something from the Copy Nin?

Was she expecting him to take their relationship to another level and not just the platonic student-and-teacher relationship when it was revealed that she remembered about their 'past' encounters?

But even if that was the case, what would everyone have to say? And most importantly, what are they really? For they never even really talked to each other except for the Kanake mission.

It was all so…excruciatingly confusing and what's worse, she longed for the older Jounin. She missed him and hasn't seen him in almost three days since they returned. If he was avoiding her, he was doing one hell of a job.

But was she ready to face him again?

"Ugh…I'm thinking of him again." Hinata groaned upon becoming aware that her mind has drifted a little too far for her comfort. Removing the pillow away from her face, she rubbed her eyes and looked around her room. She found it effective to just let her mind wonder for a while to make her forget about her disturbing thoughts.

Unconsciously, she started counting the little butterflies painted on the wall near her right. She painted them there years ago when she was still a chunin. As she was finishing the count, she heard a buzzing sound and her head snapped to her window which was located just near her left side.

She saw a large beetle and recognized it as one of Shino-kun's.

Instinctively, she peered outside the window and there he was, standing by the garden. Shino has his hands crossed and was talking to one of the Hyuga branch members. When Shino turned to look at her—their eyes met and she waved at him. He waved back and gestured for her to come out.

Hinata scrambled from her bed and ran to the bathroom. She splashed water to her face then brushed her teeth. After brushing her hair so fast it hurt, she ran outside to see her teammate. Shino was a familiar face inside the Hyuga compound because he was the one who usually picks her up when they were about to go on mission or training. Sometimes, he just hangs out with her.

"Shino-kun…Ohayo." She greeted and the Hyuga branch member, who the bug-wielder was talking to, bowed his head and walked away.

"You are usually already up this time." Shino remarked. "You were never a late riser."

She smiled guiltily."Ano…I…I decided to give myself a little break and I really have nothing on my list today. I still have plenty of homemade salve and herbal ointments that I still don't need to make some." She peered at Shino, his dark glasses glinting in the sunlight. "Are we having training today?"

"No. I came to get you."

"W-why?"

"Let's eat anything at the marketplace. Anywhere and whatever you like." Shino said, his voice always that unrevealing tone. He was the one of the hardest persons to read by just looking because he really doesn't express much. But even so, Hinata has spent a lot of time with him not to know what was inside his mind. She was one of those rare people who have seen his eyes after all.

Aburame eyes were sensitive to even the faintest of light so they have to hide it. Hinata saw it a few years back when they were having a spar when she kicked the glasses by accident. He was very handsome and she could actually compare his eyes like that of the Hyuga.

Big and round and sensitive…but the color was deep blue. Not like Naruto's electric blue eyes but more of the deeper kind. It was the color you see every time the sky was cloudless…or after the rain.

"I'll pay." Shino offered and she giggled.

"Come on Shino-kun…I know you. What is the reason for this?"

Shino studied her for a moment and decided that it was Hinata. And if there was one person that he could never lie it was her. "You don't get out much after the mission. I am worried if anything is wrong." He admitted, eyes sharply looking for something that could betray her emotions if ever she was hiding something. "Is anything wrong?"

Hinata shook her head. "Ano…It's just that…ah…"She could not lie to Shino too so she said the best thing. "I have some issues with myself. After…being with the Copy Nin for a few days in a mission m-made me think that my skills were not enough." That was partly true. She has been feeling that a lot on the way. "And…I…wanted to improve more and so I wanted to rest for a few days before training again…hard."

That was true too…somehow.

Shino nodded. "Kakashi-sensei is in a different level so it is understandable if you…get left behind in skills a bit."

Hinata inwardly flinched at the word 'sensei'.

"So that's why."

"Hai." She confirmed. "So you don't have to waste money on me. I am totally fine Shino-kun." Hinata smiled and gave him a gentle push by leaning on his shoulder. "Gomen if I have been worrying you."

"You have always been worrying me." Shino said and Hinata gigged again in response, the worries that she alone bears were temporarily forgotten while she basked in her teammate's company. "But the offer still stands. Want to eat?"

"I…I haven't…" She looked down on her sleeping clothes.

"I'll wait while you bathe."

Not wanting to let Shino's efforts on checking up on her go to waste, she agreed and ran back to her room to do a quick bath. After whipping up her usual purple and blue garb, Hinata found herself walking on Konoha's busy street that leads to the market place a few minutes later.

They both agreed on eating some sushi so they stopped when they reached the best sushi place in the leaf—and they found team seven without their Jounin instructor—to Hinata's intense relief –standing in front of the said sushi house.

Sakura was being angry about something while Sasuke looked as if he was just bored and wants nothing but to go home. Naruto was whining while pointing at the Ramen house that was just a few meters away.

When team seven spotted them, Hinata smiled. "Ohayo."

"Oy…Hinata-chan." Naruto said, stopping his whines and grinned. It made Hinata's smile go wider. That was what she liked about her childhood crush. No matter what predicament he was in, he could always manage to be cheerful and his attitude was contagious.

Sakura placed her hands on her waist, face contorted in an annoyed look that she usually wore on her face if she was being angry at Naruto's 'stupidness'. "Naruto…at least try something new. You almost have ramen every day. Don't you ever get tired?"

Sasuke looked away and stared at the ugly bush growing near the street light. It was so ugly and so pitiful that he found it more entertaining than listening to his other teammates bicker about the food that they were going to eat.

"Ramen is the best!" The blonde declared, pointing at the Ramen stand.

"But we ate ramen yesterday. I'm tired of it Naruto."

"Aww…Sakura-chan."

Shino nudged Hinata to start moving because Team Kakashi was still having some discussion that they were no part of. Hinata lowered her head and started to walk ahead of Shino, giving Sakura an apologetic smile because the pinkette looks like she has no hope of losing a ramen vs. sushi fight with Naruto.

"Fine!" Naruto stomped his feet and pulled Sasuke's collar—much to the raven haired Uchiha's discomfort and chagrin. Sasuke uttered a threat but was lost to Naruto's much louder voice. "Then we will eat with Kakashi-sensei."

Hinata stopped mid-stride.

"Stop pulling me with you dobe." Sasuke hissed, swatting Naruto's hand away from him. "I'm tired of ramen too." It made Naruto pout and the blonde's head swiveled to Hinata and Shino's direction. For a moment, he was tempted to ask Hinata since she always goes with him if he bothered her enough, but stopped when he saw Shino shook his head.

That was definitely a warning.

"Fine." Naruto said again, shaking his head. People of today really have no taste in delicious foods. "Then I'll go ask Kakashi-sensei with me. Or I'll just buy and bring some to his apartment since he looks like he was not feeling well for the past days."

That was news. And it seems like Hinata was not the only one who was…curious. Sakura frowned while Sasuke—for the first time—looked interested. "What…Kakashi-sensei is sick?"

Naruto smirked, a lot different from the way Sasuke does it. "Yeah. I came by yesterday to ask him to train with me but he said he was not feeling well. When I ask him what's wrong, he said his chest hurts and that he needed rest and—wait…" His eyes snapped to Hinata who was unmoving on her spot. "Hey Hinata-chan…you're with Kakashi-sensei in that…what's that again?" He looked at Sakura.

"Kanake flower mission." Sakura provided.

"Right." Naruto said. "Ano…did anything happen to you on that mission? I mean…get in a fight with anyone that made him—"

"That's an A-class Naruto. You know A to S class missions are confidential." The Haruno medic reminded her teammate. "And maybe Kakashi-sensei was just avoiding you since you shove ramen down his throat every time you get the chance."

"He is sick."

"No. If he is…what is he doing _there_?" Sakura pointed at her right. Everyone's head followed and there was Kakashi, standing with Kurenai and Genma, hands on his pockets and being his usual slouchy and lazy-looking self. The three instructor Jounins were by the dango place—an enough explanation why Kurenai and Iruka each has a stick of delicious dango.

"Jounins." Naruto rolled his eyes, impressed that even with the Kyubi's super sensitive chakra, he didn't felt any chakra signature from one of those three. Sasuke seems the only one who was not surprised by the seniors' presence for he focused his attention on that dry bush by the streetlight again.

Hinata's heart dropped and she was only able to pick it up when Shino touched her elbow, reminding her that she has to go inside the sushi house. Kakashi was not looking this way and because the market place was buzzing with a lot of people today, she figured that he hasn't seen her yet.

She missed him but that doesn't mean she wanted to _see_ him, so she swallowed all her thoughts and walked towards the booth entrance—

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto screamed and was making flappy gestures with his arms. "Over here!"

Kakashi saw Hinata even before she saw him. It was easy to spot her from the crowd because no one has that vibrant dark blue hair except for her. He was talking to Genma when he saw her walking next to the Aburame heir and smiling that gentle smile.

He knew she saw him…he only pretended not to notice.

"Seems like your presence is needed in front of the sushi house Kakashi." Kurenai bit one dango off the stick and chewed thoughtfully. "Hmm…is that Hinata-chan? I wonder why she was not even waving at me."

"She is not looking this way." Kakashi said, not minding his blonde student who continued to scream his name just meters away. He mentally told himself to give his Minato-sensei's son a cold shoulder, even though it will trigger his former teammates to pester him for any reasons why he was being so…unusually distant.

Kurenai shrugged. "But she always greets me. She's my most respectful student ever."

"You know…" Genma removed his senbon from his mouth in order to eat his dango properly. "You are lucky to have a student like her Kurenai. I got the chance to work with her during those paper work duties and she brings awesome bento every day."

Kakashi frowned slightly behind his mask. "Wait…" He looked at Genma pointedly. "She made you a bento?"

Genma nodded his affirmation; his handsome and usually serious face was smiling faintly upon remembering the shy Hyuga. "Her home-made food is awesome and everybody at the paper work duty is in love with her."

"Including you?" Some may not know it but Genma was a huge flirt and Kakashi could not help himself being a little…concerned. At least, that was he what he was making himself believe—that he was just concerned and nothing else.

"Now that's a weird question Kakashi. What I mean is that everybody likes her." Now it was Genma's turn to frown at his former classmate. "Did you just throw off your humor?"

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto just screamed his loudest yet and even Sasuke flinched when the few additional octaves hit his eardrums in a not-so-gentle way. A few of the locals were looking at them pointedly now. "If you continue to pretend that you don't see us. I will tell everyone that one time when I saw you buck nake—ow!" Naruto's hands shot to his mouth when one round dango hit his lips and teeth. The dango was delicious but it was still painful when it was thrown to him with such force. "Ow!"

On the other side of the street, Kakashi sighed and the other two Jounin's laughed lightly. "I have to go." He told them, pressing a throbbing nerve near his sharingan eye with his thumb. "All my secrets will be revealed if I don't."

"That's my dango dammnit." Genma hissed at the mask Jounin.

"Oh…please tell Hinata-chan to come see me later." Kurenai said before waving her dango stick, one hand pushing the small paper plate with extra dango to Genma's front.

"I'll pass the word." Kakashi sighed again and rubbed the back of his neck. Naruto was still holding his mouth in fear that some of his teeth were knocked off while Sasuke was looking amused. Sakura plainly giggled and waved at him, which he responded with a nod. Before he could reach them, Hinata already ducked under the curtains of the entrance-way with the Aburame kid.

He felt relieved yet disappointed at the same time which was a little confusing for him because these two emotions should be in contrast with each other, and here he was feeling the two at the same time.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto whined. "Do you have to do that?"

"I thought you were sick. Naruto said so." Sakuta cut in, running her eyes up and down and trying to inspect the older man for some signs that would prove the Uzumaki's claim. Kakashi looks fine. He still has that lazy look on his visible eye…just without the Icha-Icha book.

_Wait…was that a dark circle under his already droopy eye?_

"I am…or maybe just tired. My last mission was…" He wracked his mind for the right words. "an unexpected drain of energy."

Inside the Sushi house, Shino scrutinized the Hyuga girl who was acting strange since Kakashi Hatake's name came up. Hinata was with Kakashi for a mission that lasted for days and that was enough to develop some sort of friendship or even just acquaintanceship. It was odd for Hinata to not even give the said Jounin a polite greeting like he expected her to. "You are acting strange." He commented, taking a seat next to her.

"W-what?" She was jumpy.

"Are you avoiding Kakashi-sensei?"

Hinata looked stunned for a moment before blinking. Shino's question was so spot-on it scared her. It also made her mental slapped herself for the lack of subtlety. Shino was after all a sensory type Shinobi, he was trained to be sensitive and aware of his surroundings all the time.

It was not a surprise that he caught on fast.

"Ano…" She bit the end of her tongue to stop stuttering. Shino knows her enough to detect any kind of 'strangeness' on her part and she needed to be careful. "I'm…embarrassed. Remember what I told you about our skill differences? I felt like I am more of a burden than help to him on our mission and I just can't face him."

She knew she could never fully lie to Shino…so she decided to inject small truths to her statement to make them a little more solid. It worked for the Aburame nodded in understanding. Hinata exhaled in relief but gagged when Kakashi's head popped on the entrance, scanning the area before landing on her.

She lost the color on her cheeks.

"Hinata-chan." He said, voice an impassive one. "Your Kurenai-sensei wants you to see her later this afternoon. I'm just passing the word."

Hinata doesn't know why but her chest hurt. It may be that she felt a little offended that Kakashi sounds so casual—like the way he was treating her before the mission started. He was acting like…nothing happened.

Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to smile. It must have been pretty convincing since she saw—for just a second—that Kakashi flinched. "Arigatou Kakashi-sensei." She said, quite impressed with herself. She guessed two can play the game that he started. She really was not usually like this but she was hurting so much she doesn't care.

"Right." Kakashi looked uncertain for a moment before he gave them a slight nod, eye lingering unconsciously to the Aburame before pulling his head back.

Hinata looked down and grimaced, her heart beat slowly returning to its normal rate. She really needs to control her emotions…put a rein on her conflicting thoughts because if she continued to feel this way, she was really going to crack.

And it was not going to be pleasant.

Later that evening, Hinata walked along the streets of Konoha with a thoughtful look. She stayed a lot longer at Kurenai's place than expected and she lost track of time. It felt good to chat with her former sensei and catch up with womanly gossips like they were sisters. It also helped clear her mind with her current problems—she doesn't know how to call her personal dilemma so she decided to call them 'problems' anyway.

The only backlash was coming home late.

As Hinata turned to the other side of the street—the darkest place in the village currently because three of the streetlights in this area were broken—she saw two figures huddled near a tall wooden fence on the side of the road. At first glance, she almost did not notice them because they were quite secluded, with a tree nearby that helped hide them in plain sight.

Then she heard moans…intimate, in-between-kisses moans.

With dread, she recognized the man to be Genma Shiranui, one of the most respected and feared Jounin in Konoha. He was one of the Hokage's elite guards so he was looked up by a lot of people—including her. But seeing him in this dark alleyway, kissing a woman who has her hands inside his—

Hinata backed away like a frightened animal.

Okay…she was just trespassing on a private moment and it was better to retreat without the intimate couple knowing. She actually thought at first that she was succeeding but was corrected when a senbon landed near her right, startling her that it resulted to a yelp.

She decided to make a run for it.

She was fast and she suspected that they—or most importantly Genma—doesn't recognize her yet. As she ordered her legs to run and made a dash on the other side of the dark street, she realized that the Jounin was following her, hot on her heels and was gaining by the second.

This was bad…Genma was very popular for his dark humors and elite skills and she was…frightened. In truth, she was more frightened about the fact that she caught him making out with a woman in the middle of the night than anything else.

A hand caught her elbow and she was spurred around. She flinched at the firm contact and the next thing she knew; she was facing a very surprised Genma Shiranui. "The Hyuga heiress…" He said, loosening his grip on her a bit. "I thought it was some minor passed the curfew."

She just stared at him owlishly, face hot.

Genma let go of his fellow Jounin and rubbed the back of his neck, knowing what she was so…flustered about. He was on watch guard duty tonight and by chance, a woman he met and became acquainted in the pub a few days ago came up to him and flirted.

Then one thing led to another until he got caught in action. Not only just a fellow nin but one of those he suspected—judging by looks and personality alone—to be one of those few to be still pure and innocent in terms of male and female physical relationship.

Kurenai was going to kill him if she knew of this.

"You saw that huh?" His hand crept from his neck down to his vest pocket, pulling out an extra senbon that he always carries with him. With a light chuckle, he placed the tip inside his mouth. "Gomen…did I taint the innocence of your eyes?"

Hinata would have answered no…that she was already in the same position before—even though not as intense and bold—but knew it would never come out of her mouth so she lowered her eyes instead. Her cheeks were so hot it started to throb. "Go-gomenasai…I did not mean to intrude and—"

"You did not intrude. I am at fault here Hyuga-san."

"Y-you should go back to the…I mean t-to your friend." She made weak gestures to the direction where she first saw him and his…kissing partner.

"Nah. She probably left by now." He gave her a look. He doesn't care about that woman anyway. She was just a temptation and he was not going back there to be captivated by her womanly wiles. Women…they were really man's greatest weakness. "Why are you out at this time anyway? Are you on a mission or something?"

Hinata shook her head, eyes still downcast. The image of the woman's hand inside Genma's pants was still embedded on her brain she feared she was still going to see the embarrassing picture until morning. "No…I'm about to go back home Shiranui-san."

Genma nodded slowly, a hand rose to lightly scratch his signature bandanna with the Konoha's insignia on the middle. "Okay. I'll walk you home then."

"N-No…I am fine—"

"I tainted my image very bad back there…" The veteran Jounin said with a light chuckle. "At least let me make up for it. I don't want you to think of me as some stupid and bad-mannered nin or something of the sort. Besides, Kurenai will kill me if she knew that I let you go just like that after…uhm…witnessing me in my—"

"O-okay!" Hinata's voice rose, not wanting for him to finish what he was about to say. Her frantic actions only made the older man more amused. She heard him chuckle softly again. "I-If…it's no trouble to you Shiranui-san."

And so they walked, silently with a hint of slight awkwardness that Hinata mostly felt. Genma on the other hand, acted like nothing happened. He casually folded his hands on the back of his neck while his lips were playing with his senbon. When they reached a narrow street curve, he gestured for her to walk first while he closely followed.

A few meters away, both of them spotted two silhouettes. Hinata unconsciously hoped that it was not another one of those couples making out. She was surprised however, when the Jounin raised a hand. "Iruka…Kakashi."

"Yo."

**-o-o-o-**

_Here ends the chapter. Excuse the errors please…oh, please review!_

_-crazy-chan_


	19. Chapter 19

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Nineteen

Genma Shiranui was one of the biggest flirts in Konoha, and when Kakashi saw that Hinata was walking side by side with said flirt, he was alarmed. Genma was after all notorious when it comes to making the opposite sex fall for him head over heels—and he cannot allow the Hyuga girl to be caught on that web.

It was bloody dangerous…and besides, he did not gave up on her just to let her fall into another old man—which was far more perverted than him.

No freaking way.

Clearing his throat to ease the sudden roughness there, he pocketed both of his hands as Iruka muttered something about Genma's new victim. It did not make him feel any better but he was still able to act like it was nothing.

Kakashi looked at the odd pair. "Late night stroll?" He asked, not looking at them but on the ground. "Seems a little late for that, don't you think Genma?"

Hinata edged closer to the Shiranui, wanting to hide from Kakashi's view. She did not expect to see him again and at this time of the night too. Unconsciously, her right hand rose to her chest and she held it there, checking if her heart was still beating normally—because for a second there, she thought that it stopped.

And she thought that nothing could beat her encounter with Genma in that dark alley for her today's list of awkward and heart stopping moments…she was wrong.

Well…she was wrong in many things.

"Oh…just going to walk Hyuga-san home." Genma said and he looked down to see the girl. He winked at her, face sly as he returned his gaze to his batch mates. "We sort of in a bond now see…now that we have a little secret."

Iruka chuckled softly. "Hinata-chan. Be careful with that idiot…he is a big—"

"Flirt." Kakashi finished.

Genma laughed good-naturedly, not knowing that Kakashi has some killer intent hidden in those words somewhere. "And that, coming from a man who broke the hearts of the female population continuously even since he was in the academy. Come on Kakashi, you are a bigger flirt than me." And just to prove his point, he placed an arm on the shy female next to him. "If you are going to fall for someone, do not fall for that guy." He pointed at Kakashi.

Hinata would have laughed at the irony of Genma's words but only managed to utter a startled 'meemphed'.

"I'll tell Kurenai about this." Kakashi said, a threat hidden in a stoic voice. He saw Genma removed his arm from the girl and scratched his head, his senbon moving on his lips as he chuckled softly. "Or an anonymous letter to the Hyuga clan head might do the trick too. Imagine the whole Byakugan users racing to see who will get your pretty head first."

Kakashi knew that he just vowed days ago to never be close in physical means with Hinata—which also resulted in loss of sleep by the way…

But it seems that he has no choice if he was going to save her from the flirt. With a defeated sigh, he took a step forward. "Return to your post Genma. I'll take her home." He saw the girl flinched and her eyes darted to him and then to the Shinobi beside her.

"Nah. I can take her." Genma said, raising an eyebrow. "And I am the one who offered to walk her home first so…sorry Kakashi, maybe you could walk a cute girl home next time." It was still said as a good natured joke but unknown to everyone, it did not sound like a joke to Kakashi.

His one, visible eye narrowed.

Iruka shook his head, good naturedly just like Genma. "Okay…so if you two are worried that a pervert is going to bring Hinata-chan home, then cross your names out, I think I'm qualified for the job since I'm her teacher back in the academy and more…decent compared to you two."

Genma smirked. "You wish old man."

"Hey…we are of the same age."

"I am the youngest of the batch." Genma reminded the two and he looked at the dark sky. The moon was nowhere to be seen tonight and that was a sign for a coming rain. "We better get going now. Hinata-chan might get in trouble with Hiashi if she stays longer with…old men."

Hearing Genma's words, Hinata lowered her head in what was supposed to be a polite gesture that indicates her leave, she was interrupted however, when Kakashi took one step forward and reached for her arm. When she looked up, his visible eye flashed something…deadly. It was a warning of some sort and she blanched—good thing the darkness was a good enough cover for her face.

The he looked up again and into the man who was still chewing his senbon. He flashed a fake smile. "Genma…I remember something that I need to discuss with Hinata-chan here. It's about our mission…might as well talk to her about it." He looked at her again—the warning still on his dark eye. "Remember that report we still need to pass Hinata-chan? Tsunade is getting pissed because our accounts don't quite add up."

_No…The reports are all done._ Hinata thought with dread. Kakashi's grip on her arm was firm and she knew there was no removing it now.

"Oh…Tsunade hates that." Iruka said, recalling when the Hokage almost threw his chair at him when he had the mistake of giving her the wrong files.

Genma looked suspicious. "Really?"

"Hai." Kakashi was still smiling but Hinata thought it was scary. Heart beating fast, she tried to take small breathes just to ease her nerves. What was Kakashi trying to pull now? He made it clear that he wants nothing to do with her so why bother?

Hinata bit her lip. Kakashi was being mean…he was only going to mess up her mind and feelings again. "Believe me…" Kakashi continued. "And if Tsunade blames me when our paperwork is not organized, I am going to hunt you down Genma."

A few minutes later, Hinata found herself walking with the person that she never really wanted to be with right now. Well, she really wanted to see him but not spend time with him like this. Believe it or not, when he rejected her—yes, rejected—it hurt like…hell.

Kakashi was walking ahead of her, with hands deep on his pockets and gaze on the dark street. He was not talking and neither does she. Both of them knew that they already passed the point of polite pretenses.

But it seemed like the Copy Nin could not contain himself.

"So…uhm….what's the little secret you shared with Genma?" He asked; voice nonchalant.

"It won't be considered a secret anymore if I tell you…Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi's eye arrowed and he turned to look at her. He stopped walking and she stopped too. For a moment, both of their faces were hard and guarded, until Kakashi sighed and looked away. "I am not trying to dictate you or put my nose on where it doesn't belong…I am just concerned. Genma loves to…uhm…play around the field—"

Hinata frowned. "You are concerned that I'm going to get played? I-is that it?"

"And get hurt." Kakashi added, now relieved because the girl got what he was trying to say.

Hinata managed a painful smile before clenching her hands together. "Arigatou for your concern Kakashi-sensei…but I think I can manage on my own without any…help. Besides, I don't think I could feel more pain after last week."

Kakashi froze and she herself looked stunned with the words that came out of her mouth. She did not mean to say that for she was planning to keep it cool…unfortunately, her mouth betrayed her again. Hinata bit her tongue as Kakashi continued to stare at her.

"Ano…" She looked away. "I'm just…I…I don't think we really need to stay in this part of street Kakashi-sensei—it's dark and we don't want to—"

"I did it for you. I thought you would understand by now." Kakashi said, his voice low, almost a whisper but she heard—clear as glass. "I don't want you to get stuck with—Ah…forget it." The fake smile returned. "Let's get you home shall we? Kurenai can get over-protective with her students you know…and I don't want to get my ass kicked in the morning." He turned away.

Hinata looked at Kakashi's back disbelievingly. He was going to left it at _that_?

She made a grab and caught his elbow with two hands. She held it firmly like she feared that would just disappear like a bubble. Kakashi stopped. "Hinata-chan…let go of me."

"Kakashi—"

"Bad things may happen if you continue to touch me like that."

"Why are you—"

"I said let go of me." His voice has an edged into it but she was just too caught up in the moment to notice. She wanted to confirm what was really happening…what were his reasons so that she could move on with her life once and for all. All she needed was to hear that he doesn't feel anything…doesn't care.

And she's going to forget everything even if it makes her feel so much pain.

"No." She said firmly.

"I'm not going to ask again."

"And I am n-not going to repeat my answer…We need to—" She hasn't got time to let her mind wrap about what happened then because the next thing she knew, she was pushed back until her she hit a wall. Gloved hands pinned her on place and she was suddenly staring on Kakashi's chest. "K-Kakashi…"

"I said bad things may happen." He said, holding the tiniest thread of control that he still possessed. "You are really hard-headed you know…and I thought you are the most obedient one from the rookie nine."

Hinata gulped. She could smell his masculine musk and could feel his rough breaths. "I…I am not the only one who is hardheaded here." She looked up to stare into his eye.

Kakashi's thread snapped.

Pulling his mask down to his chin with one hand, he lowered his face until he reached her quivering lips. Holding her on place by the shoulders, he pressed her more to the said wall with his body. He heard the girl whimper but was too caught up with his own desires to even mind it.

Kissing her with an almost animalistic vigor, he inhaled her floral scent. He loved her smell and he missed it. One hand left her shoulders to touch her waist and then encircled it with his arm. Hinata was not fighting back…or even pretending. She allowed him entrance on her mouth and it almost drove him off the hook of insanity.

_Damn it…_

_Damn it…_

_Damn it…_

"K-Kakashi-sen-sei…I…can't breathe." Hinata managed a few moments between his kisses, jumping a bit when he bit her lower lip. One of Kakashi's gloved hands had trailed on her leg—on the verge of raising it up.

When the words sank on the older Jounin's brain, he cut the contact and backed away.

Hinata wished she did not say anything at all. "I…I…"

Kakashi shook his head. "Shit."

"Kakashi-sensei…please ju—"

Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke and Hinata looked as if she was going to faint.

A few meters away, hidden behind the shadows of the leaves and branches, Uchiha Sasuke looked amused. Now that was something he did not expect to see.

-o-o-o-

_Here ends the chap._

_Just a quickie update for my wonderful readers. Sorry if it was short, such a busy, busy week._

_-crazy-chan_


	20. Chapter 20

_Midterm exams! Urgh… consider this a 'bridge' chap._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Twenty

Kakashi scratched his head as he walked with three of his former students—the only team that was able to pass his strict standards as a Shinobi. Currently, they were heading to the training grounds for some much-needed training. Well, the younger ones will do mostly of the training for he was planning on reading his new Icha-Icha book. He bought it yesterday for the one that Hinata gave him was tucked safely inside his drawer—the drawer with his boxers just for good measure—for he was not planning on reading it anytime soon.

It was so distracting for it was like a reminder of the things he wanted to forget.

Or maybe he could just skip reading for a few hours and take a nap. He was so tired and he did not have any proper sleep since that fated night when he…lost his control and almost…

_Forget it._

He never saw Hinata after that. He was successful in avoiding any place he knew she usually goes to like the market, training ground thirteen, or the hospital. He heard from Sakura that she was a volunteer there. Maybe it also helped that she was avoiding him too.

He knew he was a dick to disappear like a smoke on her that night but he was so confused and so…aroused that he feared that just one more physical contact….just a simple touch of her skin, might break that tiniest saneness that was left on his brain and he would take her right there in that dark street, uncaring that someone might hear or see.

Of course when he returned home that night, the feeling of arousal turned into irritating pain that he has no choice but to take a cold shower to ease his warm body down. Hell…If only Hinata knew what she was also doing to him physically.

She was one hell of a potent drug.

Kakashi snapped from his thoughts when he felt some unknown eyes boring on his back. He could feel some weird aura from behind so he tilted his head —and saw that Sasuke was staring at him with his dark onyx eyes. His lower lip was curled up into a faint and somewhat sly smirk.

It was scary.

"Anything wrong Sasuke-kun?" He asked, masking his tense face with a smile.

Naruto and Sakura paused when they heard their sensei asking Sasuke, both their heads turned to look at the silent Uchiha. Being the loudest one, Naruto laughed and gave his best friend a pat on the back. "Do not bother to ask him Kakashi-sensei. Everything is wrong in Sasuke's perception."

Sakura scowled. "Naruto baka!"

"I am just saying the truth and—"

"I wanna date someone." Sasuke said so suddenly and so out of nowhere that everyone turned silent. Naruto's mouth slacked just like Sakura's, while Kakashi scratched his chin in contemplation.

Oddly, Naruto was the one who recovered first. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He yelled, grabbed Sasuke's collar and pulled him closer to look at him in the eyes. "Are you drunk?" No freaking way that Sasuke will say that in a sober state. "Did you drink alcohol? Are you sick?"

"No way…" Sakura covered her mouth. "Who is that someone?" Unconsciously, she found herself hoping that it was her…that Sasuke was going to say: _I wana date you Sakura…or I like you Sakura._

But what if he was going to date Ino-pig?

Hell no.

"Oh…" Kakashi was the only one looking at the whole situation in a more mature and positive point of view. Finally, Sasuke was acting like a normal young adult and not some blood thirsty maniac carrying the vendetta of his cursed clan. Kakashi told himself that even if it was surprising, Sasuke's decision was a good change. "That's good. I will support you with that."

"Sasuke's drunk." Naruto crossed his arms after letting his best friend go. "That is the only reasonable excuse."

Kakashi laughed. "Naruto…it is quite normal for Sasuke to like and date someone because he is already eighteen and—

"I want to date Hyuga Hinata." Sasuke declared. "I want to date the Hyuga clan's heiress."

-o-

Hinata sighed as she watched Shino and Kiba spar and work on their taijutsu skills. She was not in the mood to move around the training field so she chose to sat on the grass and accompany Akamaru instead. The giant Ninken was sleeping peacefully beside her, his giant fury head resting on her lap.

As she was scratching the dog's ears absent-mindedly, she squeezed her eyes shut to drive away the drowsiness. She wasn't able to sleep peacefully for the past nights because every time she closes her eyes, all she could see was Kakashi's face…

His mismatched eyes…

His lips…

He was playing tug and pull with her again and it was driving her to the brink of insanity. Kakashi may be a grown man but he has a lot of issues compared to her it seems. She thought at first that age gap was the only problem here but she was wrong. The way Kakashi acted, there was a lot more into it than mere age difference.

Hinata really wished that he would tell her what this problem was so that she could tell him that she doesn't care.

When he kissed her that night, she could feel that he was holding something back…he was restraining himself and it made her realize that she was not the only one who was suffering here.

Both of them are.

A loud noise that could be compared to a very strong clap of thunder interrupted her thoughts. On the training field, her male teammates stopped their training and stared at the sky—where a thick cloud of black smoke was forming. It obviously came from an explosion and judging by the sound, it must be near training ground seven.

"Let's check it out!" Kiba yelled, waving his hands frantically.

With much haste, they ran to the training ground. Being the fastest, Kiba was on the lead with Akamaru by his side. Hinata on the other hand was at the rear of the running group. It might be because she keeps on looking around every training field in hopes that she could have a glimpse of silver hair.

Even just a glimpse.

"Holy shit." Kiba pointed at a clearing and other pairs of eyes followed. "That's an intense sparring."

On the said clearing, Uchiha Sasuke propped himself from the ground. Kakashi was standing just an arm's width from him. There was dirt and soot on the Uchiha's face and his sleeve was tattered. He was smiling though, so he must be enjoying his sorry state. A few meters away from the two, Naruto and Sakura watched with gaping mouths.

Hinata stared at the Copy Nin just in time for him to disappear in a puff of smoke.

The next thing she knew, Shino took her hand and she was pulled to where the other two of team seven remained—looking just as surprised as them. Kiba, who was suddenly hyper, grabbed Naruto's shoulders. "That was awesome! Kakashi-sensei always trains all of you that way? No wonder you guys are strong!"

Naruto blinked, and for the first time at lost for words…but when he started speaking, he could not be stopped. "Ah…I don't really know what happened because well…it happened so fast. Sasuke was suddenly hitting puberty again and asking all those dating questions it was weird. Then Kakashi asked Sasuke if he wanted a spar…but when they did. They looked like they were going to kill each other…and then Sasuke looks like he was enjoying it but Kakashi looks like he was really going to kill but then—"

"Whoa!" Kiba covered Naruto's' mouth. "Slow down hotshot. I can't understand a thing."

Hinata watched as Sasuke walked towards them, his eyes still glinting from his sparring excitement. Naruto was right. It looks like Sasuke was genuinely happy about it—which was rare...and weird.

The Uchiha's face was smeared with dust but he doesn't seem to mind. It was then that Hinata noticed that the Haruno medic was glaring at her. "So here she is Sasuke." Sakura waved her hands to Hinata's direction, face strained as she tried to smile. "Hinata in all her splendid Hyuga glory."

Kiba frowned. "What's with the tone Sakura?".

Shino nodded slightly, head slowly turning to look at Sasuke. He was just standing there, a meter away from them, silent and observant. What took his attention was that he was eyeing Hinata up with an amused look. It was like he found her…interesting. Shuffling lightly, he subtly took a step forward—covering Hinata from the Uchiha's ogling.

Shino doesn't like it.

Sasuke never knew that Kakashi was the jealous type. It was all so amusing to watch. Hell…he even has his personal ticket now for intense sparring sessions with the Copy Nin and not those dumb bell-stealing practices that Kakashi always made them do. When he was sparring earlier, he even noticed that the Jounin sensei was not holding back on him.

He kept his porn inside his pocket so that was a good thing too—No…it was awesome.

Looking at Hyuga Hinata now, he never would have suspect that something was going on between her and his lazy excuse of a teacher. It was just so…queer. The girl was so shy and usually quiet. She was one of those goody-two-shoes type. Who would have thought that she was into older men?

And Kakashi now, was a different matter. The Copy Nin was useless in dealing with his romantic side. They were quite alike actually—or at first he thought. Kakashi was one of those guys who will face a suicidal mission than to face a mob of fan girls with raging hormones.

But studying Hinata now, Sasuke mused that she was not the type to be a fan girl. She has that gentle look on her eyes and that stuttering habit too.

No…definitely not a fan girl.

That night, when he caught them making out, he was actually on his way back to his apartment when he saw them by the alley. At first, he never thought that it was Kakashi—he had his mask down. He would have continued on his merry way if he did not heard Hinata calling Kakashi's name.

When he stopped and looked closer, he saw with a surprised blow that his teacher was more handsome than him—which irked him a lot by the way—but not as irked as knowing that Kakashi was showing the Hyuga his face when he and the rest of team seven has been going out of their way for years just to have a glimpse.

And he thought Kakashi has a buck tooth or something more exciting.

For that reason mostly, he decided to mess with his sensei for a bit. Maybe revenge was the right word. Sasuke wanted to see how Kakashi will cope up while thinking that he, Uchiha Sasuke…was after his little Hinata.

-o-o-o-

Tsunade sighed and dropped the book that belonged to the Fourth Hokage inside her drawer. Flipping her lazy hands to form a few simple hand seals, she tapped the pushed the said drawer closed. That should give the book security. She has been reading a few accounts of the fourth and her mind continued to drift to the time traveling thing with the Hyuga.

Damn…they really made her wait.

And heaven knows that she hates to wait.

Just as she was about to pull out a bottle with her reserved sake, Shizuke entered with a box of papers on her arms. The Hokage dropped the bottle irritably as she scrutinized Dan's niece with her sharp eyes.

"You have a lot of paperworks coming Tsunade-shizou!" Shizune groaned and slammed the heavy looking box on Tsunade's desk. "Here are Konoha'S delivery reports… lumber trades… bills….your gambling debts…Shinobi salary reports…" She continued to recite and Tsunade cringed.

"I thought we have accounting clerks for that." Tsunade gritted her teeth. Just looking at the pile of mind-draining work was making her want to vomit. She was the fifth-fucking-hokage for goodness sake! She has a lot of important things to do than organize paperwork like an accountant.

Shizune bit her inside cheek. "Uhm… our account clerks are busy at the moment. They are all focused on the trade with Suna. We have a lot of supplies being delivered back and forth so they are watching it carefully…not to mention that we are still doing the bookkeeping for Kumo's replacement goods."

Tsunade slumped on her chair. "You do it."

Shizune looked horrified. "I have hospital duty Shizou!"

"Shit." The blonde muttered as she pulled out a list of names of nins who are not out in a mission. "This calls for an emergency then." Tapping her nails on the table, her face suddenly lightened up when her eyes landed on Hyuga Hinata's name. This was perfect! This should be hitting two birds in one stone. "I want you to summon Hinata Hyuga and tell her she is doing paperwork duty tomorrow."

"Hinata-chan is reliable." Shizune agreed. "Very nice and polite too."

"And Kakashi Hatake."

To that, Shizune shook her head. "Tsunade-Shizou… Kakashi-san is…uhm…not really good for works like that." Hatake Kakashi was a skilled Shinobi yes, but the man was extremely lazy when it comes to papers. She remembered that one time when she was assigned with him on organizing the application papers for chunins and all he did was messed it up.

Kakashi was no help.

"No. He will have to do."

"But—"

Tsunade dropped the paper and smiled—a sly smile that made the other woman backed a step. Tsunade was acting weird and it was just plain scary. The last time that the blonde smiled like that was the time when she caught Jaraiya peeping in the ladies' public bath.

The toad sannin almost died that day.

"Tell me Shizune…aside from Jaraiya. Who is the next biggest flirt in the village?"

Now _that_ was an odd question. Shizune would have asked Tsunade if she was drunk or high on drugs when the door swung open and in walked Genma, senbon in his mouth and hands behind his neck. Tsunade scowled at the intruder but the elite Shinobi just shrugged and smiled.

"Did you ever heard of the word knock?"

"Playing favoritism here Tsunade-sama?" Genma asked, stopping by her front desk. "I heard Kakashi can come and go inside the office without the courtesy of knocking."

"No. I am actually planning on bumping both of your heads." Tsunade responded grimly, no hint of joke there. "What do you want Genma? I am on the middle of discussing something very important with Shizune."

"Just a report from my last mission." He pulled a rolled folder from inside his flak jacket that was unzipped. He then tossed it on top of the box filled with papers. "Okay…I'm done here." He turned to Shizune and winked. "See you around little nurse."

"I am not a nurse. I'm a medic. It's different."

A calculated smile appeared on Tsunade's lips. "There's my flirt." The words were said softly but Shizune heard it. The dark haired woman blanched as it dawned on her that the slug princess was up to something…and if Tsunade was up to something it was either very helpful or very destructive. And right now, Shizune was betting on the latter. "Genma…wait." The man stopped before he managed to put one foot outside the office. "Stop for a second there."

Genma wheeled around, eyebrows raised. "Hai Hokage-sama?"

"Can you go and find Hyuga Hinata? I am putting you two in paperwork duty tomorrow."

Genma scratched the back of his neck as he remembered Hiashi's daughter—the one who caught him in action a few nights ago. She was a pretty young one and she smelled really good too…as in really good that it reminded him of flowers. It was good to know that Tsunade was assigning him with a younger partner this time and not Aoba or Raidou. He was growing tired of being with those two all the time.

But still, paper works means hell.

Hell goddam it. "Uh…is that a request?" He asked hopefully, the senbon in his mouth moving as he spoke. The moment Tsunade smirked; Genma knew that what he was hoping was too good to be true. Now he was really regretting about just barging inside the office.

Maybe Tsunade was just getting back at him for that.

"It's an order Genma."

"Damn."

"Don't worry…I am assigning another third person to help out." Tsunade said with another of her sly smiles. "Come on, I'm going to add it on your record…and I am going to make sure that it's going to be a good one.

-o-o-o-

Hinata gently placed the bunch of red roses and yellow sunflowers on top of the two identical graves near the hero's monument. Her choice of blooms may be a weird one—roses and sunflowers? Some may cringe at the lack of flower arrangement sense.

Unknown to anyone, it has a meaning she holds dear to her heart… after all, the colors represent the yellow flash and the red jalapeno. Staring at the graves of Minato and Kushina, Hinata could not help herself but be sad. Making her remember about her time-skipping past also has its downfall in her opinion, because not only where the memories were back, but also the emotions that came with them.

And right now, she missed the loudmouth redhead and the gentle yet bright-as-the-sun Yondaime.

"Minato-san…Kushina-Nee." She murmured. "Your dreams are being lived by your son you know… He grew up to be a nice, happy, and strong person…and I promise to always look after him and help as long as I could." Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and muttered a soft prayer of gratitude and peace. She would have stayed longer in her position if someone did not appear from behind.

Hinata blushed alarmingly when she saw that it was Genma. She still hasn't recovered from the sight in that dark alley yet, and looking at him now, images of the woman's hand inside his—

"You visit the Fourth's grave?" Genma asked.

"Just…just putting flowers for Konoha's greatest heroes." She replied, looking down while trying to clear her mind from disturbing thoughts.

"Oh…so you looked up to them?"

"Hai…they are g-good role models, don't you think?"

"Yeah." For a moment, Genma's eyes drifted away and became unfocused. Hinata guessed that the elite nin was recalling a few good memories just like her. "I am one of the Fourth's guards you know…and for me, Minato-sensei is one of the best leaders Konoha ever had." He chuckled. "I am biased I know, but he is just perfect for the job."

Hinata smiled as an image of Naruto's father entered her head. She agrees, but knew that it would sound strange if she voiced it out. Tucking a few stray strands of blue hair behind her ear, she reached for the bunch of flowers she brought one last time before straightening up.

"You received the message about paperwork duty?" Genma asked.

"Hai."

"I am your workmate for the day by the way." The older Jounin said. "I am actually looking for you so that we could start early. Tsunade said you have the keys of her accounting room."

"Oh!" Hinata's hand shot to her pocket were the keys are. Tsunade gave it to her for safekeeping yesterday when she was summoned about the said paper work duty. She remembered the busty sanin telling her that she was going to have a few hands to help her but no names where mentioned. She was actually expecting those 'helping hands' to be females…and not a veteran nin.

Not to mention the said nin has a habit of lurking in dark alleys while kissing and touching body parts.

Genma took her silence as an opposition for her part. The girl was looking awkward and uneasy. "Still…uhm…thinking about that night?"

She shook her head in denial. "Shiranui-san… "

"It's okay. I understand." Genma shrugged. "Kind of tainted the innocence of your eyes that night. But don't worry…I am not going to do anything." His forefinger pointed back and forth between them and another of those sly smiles appeared on his lips. "I am not like that…without consent."

-o-

Kakashi scratched his silver hair when he realized that he was two hours late for his work today. Tsunade-hag-sama unmercifully assigned him in paperwork duty, which in his opinion was worse than facing ten enemy nins at the same time.

Paper works against ten nins?

He would gladly head dive with the enemy ninjas.

As he followed the trail that leads to the accounting building, he wondered if he could use a clone as a proxy for his true self. His clone would be able to do all the work while he can spend the rest of his day in leisure, reading his favorite Icha-Icha volume that would help divert his mind from destructive thoughts.

Like the fact that Uchiha Sasuke wants to date Hinata.

He was not trying to interfere—just to make things clear by the way—for he just wanted to help Sasuke realize that Hinata was not his type… not his type at all.

Sasuke was too violent…Hinata too gentle. He loves the bloodier and darker side of things while she loves the light and if possible, no blood at all. It was just too impossible. Their personalities would surely clash. Sasuke should just stick his nose with girls like Yamanaka Ino or Sakura—daring and loud spoken girls that would make him more…comfortable.

Yes. As a concerned teacher and senior, he was just trying to help.

When he reached the building of his destination—much to his distaste—he stared at the open window of the second floor with a lazy eye. Everyone would expect him to use the proper entrance for the building was also half library and archive room— everyone, even high ranked nins such as himself were expected to use the door.

But as a sign of his rebellious spirit for Tsunade's unjust orders, he decided to use the window.

Without much effort, his sturdy sandals kicked the hard ground and he leaped straight to window. His right hand caught a metal railing and he used it to support his weight as he hoisted himself up with ease. When his feet hit the wooden floor, it was just in time for him to hear a soft girlish giggle.

A very familiar giggle.

His head jerking to the side, he saw two people sitting at the farthest right near the bookshelves and filling cabinets. It was a young woman and a not-so-young man. The said man was smirking proudly as he moved the senbon in his mouth with his tongue. He was obviously saying something that was boosting his ego by the way he was expanding his chest like a popper fish.

The girl, with a pink tint on her cheeks was obviously flustered but obviously impressed.

"What's with her and the opposite gender these days?" Kakashi murmured as his eyes narrowed unconsciously. It was also at that time that the two noticed his presence.

"Lost?" Genma asked, eyeing the mask man. There was no freaking way that Tsunade will assign Kakashi with this kind of work. "Or emergency cover?" Beside him, Hinata dropped a few stack of papers on the floor—eyes on the newly arrived Copy Nin.

"Yo."

-o-o-o-

_Here ends the chap. I am so busy and we have exams! Urgg…I am starting to have writers block too._

_Not my week guys…not my week._

_-crazychan_


	21. Chapter 21

_Disclaimer: I do no t own any characters in Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Twenty One

"I never thought that Kakashi was a dedicated worker… well, he is always on missions but jobs like this? I'm impressed." Genma said as he scribbled a few notes on a small notebook that was provided to the three of them. He was working with the Hyuga heiress on the same table while Kakashi was alone on that desk in the farthest right of the room.

Well, the said desk had been to the farthest right when they first entered, but strangely, the table keeps getting closer to their workplace every few minutes. The occupant—that was the Copy Nin—was doing an impressive display of speed in doing his accounting work. The last time Genma checked, Kakashi has already half of his notebook filled with his own scribbles.

On the other hand, the Hyuga next to him was busy on her work too. She rarely looks up, and every time she does, it was only if he was engaging her into a conversation and she needs to reply. She was different before Kakashi entered the room almost three hours ago…for she was less shy and reserved compared to now.

Well…maybe she was just intimidated with the Copy Nin. Kakashi's presence sometimes does that. "Hmm…you are a fast worker too." He noted.

"A-Arigatou."

Genma beamed, the almost-permanent senbon on his lips moving. "You are really cute you know? All that blushing and shyness stuff? It's so adorable I could just—"

A pen cap hit Genma on the head.

Genma blinked, and so did Hinata. They looked at each other for a moment in stunned contemplation. Slowly, Genma's head swiveled to face the seemingly oblivious masked ninja who was busy on his own stack of paper works a few meters away. He took the pen cap that landed on their working table and raised it in his fingers. "Did you just hit me with this?"

Kakashi slowly raised his face. "What? Me?"

Just by looking at his all-too-innocent face, Hinata knew that it was him. She almost shook her head when the Hatake looked at the pen in his hand and feigned surprise. "Ooops…maybe I wrote my numbers too quickly and the cap flew away unnoticed. Sorry Genma."

Genma was not looking convinced. The said cap landed a little too strong for him to believe Kakashi's words. With a light frown, he gave Kakashi a look that suggests he was not convinced but was willing to let it go. "Fine….but I don't want a pen hitting my head next time or this senbon will find a mark Kakashi." He doesn't really mean to give off a warning but Kakashi was just acting…odd.

And did that table just moved another foot closer?

"Yeah. Yeah." Kakashi answered, still busy on his paperwork.

With a sigh, Hinata took her stack of finished paper works in order to place them neatly on a new box. Genma has a few finished stacks of his own so she took them with a light smile. There were a few more left in that old box near Kakashi's side of the room so she silently walked towards it. Bending over the box, she pushed a few strands of blue hair off her face.

Hinata was careful not to look in his direction in fear that he was going to disappear in a puff of smoke again. Kakashi has a tendency to disappear like a bubble every time they were too close for his liking. She doesn't want that…even though they were not talking and were pretending like they were strangers, she would rather choose to see him than avoiding her entirely.

His vanishing acts actually hurt.

As she was piling up the remaining papers, she stiffened when she heard Kakashi's chair being pushed back. The sound of his steps walking to where she was made her heart jumped to her throat. The next thing she knew, Kakashi was beside her, pretending to gather fresh papers.

She decided to remain quiet.

With a shaky breath, She was about to pull her hands out of the box when gloved hands caught them, holding them in a grip that was not strong yet also firm. When she raised her eyes to look at his face, she almost gritted her teeth when it was nothing but impassive. His eye was still the same…his jawline…

Then he squeezed her hands.

And let them go.

Hinata never knew the real meaning of frustration until now. As she watched him return to his desk, she gave him a disbelieving look…or more likely a challenge. She really wanted to scream at him right now to make up his mind and be done with it…and not like this.

Not like this.

More like a puppet now—a puppet that was just working because of the strings—she returned to the table she shared with the Shiranui. Genma saw her expression and he raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay Hyuga-san?"

Hinata lowered her face. "H-hai."

"You must be bored with all this." He motioned to the stack of undone paperworks.

Hinata looked at Kakashi and her eyes hardened. "I am bored with all of this." When she realized that her tone has changed, she ended the answer with a slight laugh. "A-aren't we all?"

Genma agreed. "But Tsunade was not in a hurry. She did not even give us a deadline." Stretching from his chair, he stood up. "Why don't we get lunch first? I'm famished." He looked at Kakashi. "Hey masked man…let's grab something to eat?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I'll pass."

"It's me and Hyuga-chan then."

Hinata shook her head too. "I'Il pass too Shiranui-san. I am not hungry…besides, only a few papers left and we are done with all these."

Genma scratched his chin as he pondered which was more important; eating lunch with a pretty young girl or let her finish the paper works so that they were done with it.

The paper works won on a landslide."Alright."

"I'll see you around…Genma-san." Hinata smiled.

"I look forward to that…but hopefully not in that dark alley like the last time." Genma chuckled and winked at her. She giggled slightly in response as she watched him leaped out the window in a graceful manner that she was sure would match the Hatake's.

When they were alone, she titled her head to the side and watched the older man—still pretending to be busy—and frowned. "W-why are you avoiding me?" She asked after gathering her courage to speak. "And…why did you d-disappear on me like…smoke?"

"I'm not." Kakashi dropped the pen. "What happened with you and Genma in a dark alley by the way? I'm curious."

"It's not important…Kakashi-sensei." Hinata settled back on her chair and began to organize the scattered files. She was trying her best to act neutral, in case Kakashi's defenses soared up and he was going to disappear on her again. In truth, she was really hungry but decided not to mind the slow, grumbling protests of her stomach. This was a good chance to talk to the Copy Nin and people seldom come into this room, locals or nins.

"Ah." Kakashi continued to scribble on his notebook.

"…It just involved groping and…kissing." Okay…now Hinata knew she was just trying to provoke him. She just wanted him to talk…so that she could bring the matter that concerns about them up. When she looked up again, she saw the pen on Kakashi's hand snapped into two.

It was a sign to back down a step. She doesn't want Genma to be in trouble with what she said. "It's just…Shiranui-san. I saw him with a w-woman and…well, maybe she was his lover—Don't get the wrong idea."

"Genma doesn't have any serious lovers." Kakashi said, dropping the now destroyed pen on the desk. Pushing his chair back, he stood up and walked towards her spot, avoiding her eyes in the process. He stopped when he reached the front of her desk. She was staring at him with well-schooled features just like him. "I want you to be careful around him." He said, resting his hands on the top of the table and bending over to face her. "He loves to play around."

"And so do you Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi sighed. "Hinata-chan…listen to me." He chuckled grimly. "I am an old man…I don't want you to get stuck with an old man okay?…and I don't want you to feel compelled with what happened between us in the past. I may…sound and look like a jerk to you right now—and believe me— I am really feeling like a jerk, but I don't want you to face troubles that—"

"Don't you think that I have a say in the matter…K-Kakashi-sensei? It's my life after all." Hinata clenched her fists. "Please…do not treat me as a child. I turned eighteen a few days ago and I am legally an adult l-like you—"

"I am not treating you like a child."

"You do!" Her voice raised a few octaves.

"I don't."

"You do—"

Kakashi slammed his hands on the desk and she bites her words down. He looked angry and it was rare to see him look like that. "I don't think of you as a child. If I do…I won't…touch you the way I did in that apartment back in Kali. I won't touch and kiss you the way I did in that alley."

Hinata just stared back.

"You don't understand Hinata-chan. Age gap is just one thing we have to face if…"

"I am willing to face it." She said bravely. "J-just give me the chance to prove it."

Kakashi chuckled again, without humor of course. "Words are easier to say than done." The girl doesn't know the things she was going to thread once he agreed with whatever she was…proposing. He wanted to avoid her and act nothing but it seems like those actions were futile.

He has to make her understand…

She has to understand.

She was young…she was going to recover from this and move on. Even though he has to admit that he could not stop himself from getting… protective of her—protective and not jealousy, mind you—in terms of her and the opposite sex.

Kakashi watched as Hinata's face slowly hardened. Her white, gentle eyes became fierce with a determination he saw her possessed once. It was a few years back when she was still twelve…back in that chunin exams where she was facing a fight she knew she has no chance of winning.

He still remembered those fierce eyes…

To his surprise, Hinata slammed her pale hands on the desk too. "Fine!" She said. "Actions sensei? Then w-words are useless between us… am I right?"

"Right." He agreed. Good. It seems like he was getting to her. "I want you to—hey…" He said when two hands grabbed his vest collar. It was a strong grip and he has no time to avoid them. The girl caught him by surprise.

"Right." Hinata repeated as she brought him down to her face level. She was scared…really scared, but she needed to show the Copy Nin that she was serious. They really need to clarify everything between them once and for all… but first; she wanted him to know how she really felt.

And guess words were not enough him...

So before her courage could leave her, she pressed her lips on his mask—the place where she knew his lips would be. When she made contact, she was surprised to find his lips parted—in shock. Closing her eyes, she pressed harder…

Hoping that he would not bolt away like he did the last time.

-o-o-o-

_Here ends the chapter. Please review!_

_-crazychan_


	22. Chapter 22

_Thank you for the reviews guys! I am sorry that I could not respond to each of it. I am just super busy these days. With all the exams, extra projects, and assignments and all that usual schoolwork that makes my brain go ZZZZZZ._

_Sometimes…I wonder why I even bothered to take an Engineering course. They take all the fun in my life. Urgh… (or maybe it's just me ranting. I am really lazy when it comes to school works.)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All rights belong to the great Kishimoto-sama._

-o-o-o-

Chapter Twenty-two

(f) _Kushina watched as her husband moved around the kitchen like a pro. The redhead Uzumaki knew that women should always be in charge of housework but it was the opposite inside their home. Minato was good in house work and his cooking skills superb._

_She tried to cook for him once, but gave up when he got sick of food poisoning. With a sigh, she rested her chin on her hands as she moved her toes under the table. There were just things that she could not do…_

_But how could Minato be so good in almost everything?_

"_You are quiet." The Yondaime found it odd that his usually loud wife was just staring at him with her beautiful eyes. "Are you feeling alright?" Minato asked with a chuckle, his handsome face lightening up into a handsome grin. "I grow worried every time you're not saying anything."_

"_I am thinking about something." She smiled, falling in love with her hotter than hot husband all the more. She was really so lucky to snare such a man Even though she has to fight a lot of fan girls, it was worth it. Sighing dreamily, she sniffed the air. "What are you cooking?"_

"_Omelets and saori fish."_

"_Yum."_

_Minato smiled at his wife's enthusiasm. After a few moments however, the smile vanished to be replaced with a worried frown. The Yondaime looked at the pan in front of him filled with boiled fish as he remembered his remaining student. "I have made some extra food for Kakashi." _

_Kakashi was not his usual self for the past weeks. The young Hatake has been a little… cold and distant._

_The smile also vanished from Kushina's face as she heard her husband mentioned the Anbu's name. "He's back to his old self again… that emotionless Kakashi." Kushina raised a hand and examined her red nail polish. She was trying not to look worried for the medics said it was bad for the baby inside her. Deep inside, she knew she was kidding herself._

_She was hellishly worried for the Minato's student._

"_I knew they were not cousins. He won't act like that if they were related. One thing that I can't understand though, is why she suddenly left." She continued. "And did not even told me when I…I treated her as my own sister."_

_Minato's lips formed into a thin line. Kushina was not aware that Hinata returned to her real time. All she knew was that the girl suddenly left to go back to her "family" in a far off town. Kushina was still sulking…she was very fond the time traveler and was hurt that she was not able to say goodbye._

_But Kushina doesn't know the circumstances and it was best if it was left at that._

"_Poor Kakashi-kun." Kushina muttered. "He has lost…a lot. And when he found another person to hold on to…she left him. I hope they figure things out… she was his happiness." _(f)

Hinata was starting to feel afraid.

Kakashi was not responding and he grew so still she wondered if she vanished on her again and replaced himself with a wooden clone or something of the sort. Kakashi was smart that way and if he ever did, she would not be surprised.

Hurt yes, but surprised? Absolutely no. He had done it a few times for the past days for her to feel surprised.

Slowly opening her eyes just to check if he was still there—the real Kakashi—she gasped a little when she realized that it was still him and not some clone. He was not responding to her bold move for his visible eye was looking down on her with an intense glare. "You are walking in dangerous grounds here." He said and his voice was low. He did not bother to break the contact that she first initiated.

She could feel his lips moving underneath the mask when he spoke.

Hinata tightened her hold on his collar and pressed her lips harder, afraid that he was going to push her or pull away.

"Hinata." His words were muffled. "Stop."

They continued like that for a few seconds—seconds that felt like hours—until her shoulders slumped and her hands loosened their grip on his collare. The mental and emotional strain was just too much. Add Kakashi's unresponsive act and she now has an awesome combination for a heart-breaking pain.

With a shaky sigh, she slowly removed her lips from his mask.

"Gomen…" She lowered her head and shut her eyes closed just to prevent the tears from falling. One of the most important things that Hinata learned from her father was to never show her tears to a person who doesn't deserve it. Crying was fine— as long as the reason was worth it, and right now, she has a feeling that Kakashi doesn't deserve her tears. "I… I crossed the line."

There was no response so she smiled hurtfully. "I… I won't do it again sensei. I promise… I am just not thinking straight today."

"Hinata…"

"No." She shook her head, not wanting for him to go on. "I'm f-fine."

Kakashi sighed and pressed a throbbing nerve on the back of his ear. His head was suddenly aching and he wondered if he brought any pain reliever pills with him. Sakura gave him a few yesterday and it seems like a good time to have one. "I'm sorry."

Hinata continued to shake her head. "No… just stop sensei. I'm fine…J-just d-don't say anything okay?" She diverted her glossy eyes on the papers that were now littering the floor. When she did her bold move, she accidentally dropped a stack of her paper works from the desk. Bending over, she picked them up hastily. "I…I'm hungry. I think I'll just finish the rest of this tomorrow."

"Hinata…"

"I…think I'll go catch up with Shiranui-san and eat some lunch. You b-better eat too Kakashi-sensei." She returned the now crumpled papers on the table unceremoniously and wheeled around to use the window as an exit. She really needs to escape from this place right now, or else… "Bye sensei. S-see you around."

Kakashi grabbed her elbow. "I don't want to hurt you." He said softly, tightening his grip on her in case she bolts.

"You are hurting me now." She whispered.

"Shit Hinata. Don't do this to me." Kakashi gritted his teeth as he shook his head. "You don't understand." It was hard enough for him to do this and seeing her like this was a little too much for him to bear. Damn Tsunade…she could have picked anyone for this job and she has to pick him…

And pick her.

Hinata wheeled around, trying her best to stop the tears from falling. She was successful at the moment but knew it won't last if this conversation goes a little longer. "No…I understand now. Y-you made it clear. You don't want me. I keep on holding into that past that was not supposed to happen in the first place. I k-keep on believing that—"

"That's not what I mean."

"It alright Kakashi-sensei. B-better say it in my face now so that I could wake up from this nonsense." Hinata tried to shove his hand away. She doesn't want him to touch her at the moment. "You don't need to disappear in a puff of smoke today sensei. I personally…will give you the reason to leave."

"That's not what I mean."

"No, I unde—Ah" Kakashi grabbed her shoulders and gave her a shake. The sudden gesture made her yelp.

"Damnit. Hinata. How could you not understand? I don't mean that I don't want you." Kakashi knew that he was losing his cool but right now, he was not minding it. Hinata was looking at him like he was the bad guy here and he could not have that.

He was also starting to suspect that her insecurities were rising up. He could not have that too. Pushing her to the nearest wall, he trapped her there by pressing his body on hers. He heard her gasp a few times but right now, his mind was solely focused on one thing. He has to make her understand. He failed to do that in the last time they met…for he lost his control. "I want you." He whispered on her ear. "Hell I want you."

Hinata's eyes widened when she felt him pressing his lower body on hers. The color drained from her face when she felt something hard pressed on her lower abdomen. Of course she knew what it was. She was able to spend a lot of medical seminars with Sakura to know about human anatomy. "K-Kakashi…"

"You feel that?" He asked. "That's the effect you're giving me every time you're near. So tell, is that a sign that I don't want you?"

"S-sensei…"

"Answer me. Is that a sign that I don't want you?" He heard her whimper and he gritted his teeth in frustration. "Believe me; if I could…I'll…" He trailed. "But… I don't want you getting hurt. I am older…and you are innocent in the ways of men."

Hinata's lips quivered. "Is that all?"

"I don't want you to face all the gossip…talks…all the scandal when we…if we take this a step further. I don't want you facing your father's anger Hinata. Hiashi won't like this." Kakashi sighed again and he wondered how many sighs was he able to do just this morning. "There are just too many damn things that we—especially you, had to face. People won't understand what happened between us. The time-traveling thing must still be kept a secret."

"Don't you think I have a say in this?" Hinata asked and her eyes dangerously glossy and red. "My decision counts doesn't it?"

"Hinata…"

"K-Kakashi-kun." Hinata grabbed his broad shoulder. "I love you."

Kakashi stiffened.

"I was willing to defy time for you in the past remember?" Now tears were starting to fall in heavy, transparent drops. "You remember that? I was ready to defy time for you back there. If you think that I am not the one who doesn't u-understand, I think you are wrong. I think…" She gave him a shake too. "I think you are the one who doesn't understand. You are the one who is more…s-scared."

"I am scared."

"I am too…but I am willing to face it." Hinata bit her lower lip and looked down. "Why don't we face it together then? We are both scared r-right? Then we have t-to face it together."

"Hinata…"

"Please."

Kakashi did not say anything but stared at the blue haired girl. She was willing to take the risk…how about him? The moment he allowed everything to jump a level up, he knew troubles and problems were going to brew instantly.

But looking at her right now…their bodies so close…

Kakashi shook his head again. Damn. He must really be losing his control. Letting her shoulders go, he brought his fingers to her chin and lifted it up. She stared back with her wet lashes and at that moment, he was able to make up his mind. "You are the one who want this…so don't bail on me when it gets tough."

He then pressed his masked lips on hers, loving the way she stiffened for a short moment before melting in his arms. Nervously, Hinata's hands found his face to pull the mask down. "I promise. It's you who I am worried about." She admitted honestly before letting him have access of her lips again.

She tasted so sweet, but unfortunately, this was neither the time nor the place. Kakashi let his gloved hands ran on her sides before stopping around her waist and pulled her closer. Breaking the kiss, he let his lips trail on the hollow of her neck. When he found the right spot, he gave her a slight nip then sucked.

"There." He said and pulled away. Hell…he always wanted to put a kiss mark on her porcelain skin. Too bad Yoda has beated him into it. "Just my mark for the meantime. I don't want us getting caught in here and create a bigger issue before everything even started."

Hinata touched the raw skin. "Y-you are not changing your mind about this…a-are you Kakashi-sensei?"

"Maybe…" Kakashi admitted, touching her still wet cheek. "But your tears will always bring me back. That I am sure of."

The Hyuga let out a shaky laugh. "We are weird."

"Yeah."

-o-

_Here ends the chapter. Please review…_

_By the way…I drew some Naruto fan arts and posted them on my instagram and deviantart accounts. Please check them out! Just check my profile for the accounts._

_-crazygirl12_


	23. Chapter 23

_I search crazygurl12 in google and saw that some of my fics has been translated in different languages and there were so many reviews I just wanna read them all! Urgg….and to think that some has more than five hundred reviews and I could not understand them._

_Anyone who speaks Chinese or Vietnamese here? Lol._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Twenty-three

(f) _Kakashi dropped his Anbu mask on the tall grass and stared at the dried blood that stained it. The white color of the dog-like mask was now dark brown. He knew he was not supposed to remove it yet because he was in an open field and some might see him, but the smell of blood was so strong he was starting to get a headache._

_Removing his standard Anbu vest next, he placed it carefully on top of the mask. The gray vest was also matted with blood and for a moment, he stared at it like it was the most offending thing in the world. With a tired sigh, he pulled the forehead protector up to reveal his sharingan eye._

"_Chidori." His body bended slightly and dangerous coils of electricity appeared on his right palm. Without much of a flourish, he slammed his hand on his Anbu gear. There was a loud sound and when he looked at his things again, they were completely incinerated. Only bits of it remained. His technique left a small crater on the ground and he wondered if the fourth was going to get angry at him for destroying his things._

_Well…he could always lie._

_He pulled his forehead protector down again and was feeling a little better now that he could not smell the blood. All he has to do was return to his apartment, take a bath to remove the traces of his last assassination mission, and write his report for another mission done—_

"_Kakashi!"_

_His cheek twitched at the sound of Maito Gai's voice._

_Gai has been following him a lot lately and was declaring to everyone that he was his rival. With a snort, Kakashi was somehow annoyed that this bundle of green tights thought that he was actually his level. The guy never even made Anbu and all he does was his taijutsu. Without his seven gates technique, he won't even stand a chance._

"_What?" He asked, knowing that it was too late to run away now or vanished in a puff of smoke. Gai was a persistent bastard and Kakashi knew that he won't be left alone if he could not face him now. He even humors his rivalry games sometimes…just so he could be left alone._

"_Heard of the news?" Gai stopped when he was just a meter away. He was carrying a bundle of flowers in his hands and a basket with…was that cookies? Kakashi shuddered at the thought of Gai cooking._

"_What are those for?" He found himself asking._

"_Oh…I am bringing them to the Hyuga clan." Gai said with a smile. "Heard that Hiashi-san's wife just gave birth to a baby girl. Hiashi-san and I has been acquainted in that Aburame clan party last month. We talked and we shared our opinions about Taijutsu and I am very happy that we share the same ideas concerning my inner gates technique…so yeah, I'm going to visit and bring a present." _

_Kakashi just blinked._

"_Wanna come with me my great rival?" The young teenager in green flashed his dashing smile._

"_Gave birth to a baby girl?" The Anbu repeated robotically._

"_Hai. The future heiress of the Hyuga clan. I heard they named her…uhm…was that Hinate? Hanate? Wait… I'm sure that it goes like—"_

"_Hinata." Kakashi finished Gai's recalling-the-name game. "The baby's name is Hinata." _ (f)

-o-

Hinata never expected that being in an official but still a secret relationship with the one and only Hatake Kakashi was like hiring ten guards at the same time. The man was unbelievably possessive and paranoid. It has only been a week but they were already arguing in a lot of things.

Especially with the issues concerning men.

Nonetheless, it was a happy experience for her and she was very glad that he was…well, hers. Hinata knew that he was just being protective and she really loved him for that. Not to mention that it was always cute when he acts like a jealous little kid whith men—especially to a certain veteran nin with the senbon.

Hinata has to admit that being in a secret relationship was hard. They both have to lay low in case someone suspects and might guess the secret before the planned time that they were going to admit it themselves. They met sometimes, in the training field where they pretended to engage in a friendly spar…or sometimes in the bookstore, were she and Kakashi were regular customers. It was a very common thing to meet in the bookstore—and everyone knew that Kakashi was a wide reader of the Icha-Icha series so they both assumed that it was safe.

But the hardest of all was keeping it from her Nii-san and team. She was not used to lying...and she always acts flustered and guilty when she does.

She was an easy person to read.

Hinata sighed and closed her eyes, wanting to divert her thoughts away from the Hatake. She found it actually funny, for at first, she thought that not being with Kakashi made her think about him often…and now that they were an official couple, she still could not take him away out from her head.

In fact, it was just getting worse.

Well…they both defied time to be together right? Maybe it was just…normal.

Squinting to look at the small wall clock on her room wall, she clicked her tongue when she saw that it was already eleven in the evening and she was not even sleepy. Shino and Kiba were on a mission with team Gai so she was not going to have anyone to hang out tomorrow—maybe she could get some sleep if she won't be getting enough tonight.

"Why can't I sleep?" She muttered, pulling the covers up to cover her from head to foot. "Sleep… I need sleep…I need sleep… I need slee—"

"Want me to tell you a bedtime story?"

The Hyuga pushed the covers off her face, startled when she heard the voice. The next thing she knew, a hand covered her mouth and she found herself staring to a half-hidden face and spiky, silver hair. Her eyes widened.

"Shh… you don't want them to know that I sneaked in. Your father will have my balls for sure."

"K-Kakashi." She whispered when he let her mouth go free. How did he manage to get into her room without her knowing? And how could he sneak in unnoticed in a compound full of Byakugan users? Her eyes scanned his form. He was wearing his complete Jounin uniform with a small pack slung behind him. The one nins used whenever they were about to go out on missions."What are you…?"

Kakashi eyed the girl's bed hair and flushed face before answering. Her night gown was a little thin and transparent so he was having a hard time finding his voice. "Ah…Tsunade assigned me for a mission. It's A-class so…I have to leave this midnight."

"An unexpected mission?" She scooted to his side.

"Hai. Spying stuff… my usual work."

"Oh…"

"And I want to see you before going…I want you to know that I'll be gone for two days." He looked at her. She was biting her lower lip like she was contemplating about something. Maybe she doesn't like that he barged into her room without permission? "I'm sorry for the intrusion."

She shook her head. "I…I don't mind. I'm glad that you wanted to see me before going." She was starting to get worried now, not because Kakashi was inside her room at this time of night with a big chance that he'll get caught, but she was more worried that he was going on a mission. "Be careful."

"I'm always careful." The Copy nin responded and he took off his mask. Then as if he remembered something important, he pulled out a folded parchment from his pocket and handed it to her. "Before I forget, I want you to have this."

She took it with curiosity and reached out for the lamp switch. She turned the small lamp on and unfolded the paper, eyes scanning the written words. "A list?" She could make out numbers. "One…" she started reading in a soft voice. "Stay away from Genma…two, stay away from Uchiha Sasuke…three—"

"Just a few reminders before I'm gone." Kakashi scratched his head as she stared at her in shock and amusement. "I know I'm weird…but I could not help to be worried since—"

Hinata giggled.

Kakashi grimaced. "Don't make fun of me…I'm serious."

"Three…"she continued. "Stay away from Naruto. You have a crush on my student in your academy days." To that, she gave him a raised eyebrow. "Four, do not go to the bar at night with Ino if your teammates are not with you because you are not a drinker. Five, never take off your jacket. Six…" She paused.

Kakashi looked away.

"Now this one is not part of your…reminders."

"Just pretend that I did not write it down. I'm embarrassed like hell so you don't have to rub it in my face—"

"I love you too." She said, cutting his words. She looked down and found herself pointing the tips of her forefingers together. A hand reached for her chin to push it up and her eyes landed on his visible one. The man was incredibly handsome without his mask…and she was honestly glad that he has that face covering all the time. "C-can I make my own list too?" She asked, suddenly liking the idea of her own do's and don'ts.

"Um…sure."

Looking at the clock again, she was glad that they have more than half an hour before midnight. Jumping from bed, she walked towards her drawer and pulled a small clean sheet of Manila paper and a pen. She then bends over the top drawer and started scribbling.

A few minutes later, she returned to the bed and gave it to him.

"Should I read this now?" He asked her, eyeing the paper suspiciously.

"No. Keep it. Read it when…uhm…you are far from me."

"Okay." He tucked it inside his vest pocket, patting it twice. "Later then." When he looked at her again, his face has a somewhat mischievous expression. "Don't I get to have a goodbye kiss?"

Hinata stared back for a few seconds. She was actually amused at how Kakashi was now the more expressive one in their relationship when at first; he was the one who was trying his best not to make it work. Good thing she found enough courage to push him into overcoming his issues… for she was honestly on the verge of giving up herself.

Some may think that this kind of relationship was too mature for a girl of eighteen years, but ever since she remembered her time skipping past, she got this feeling that she was more mature now compared young people her age. It was like she was not eighteen…but older. Besides, the feelings she felt for the Copy Nin was still the same. If anything, it only grew much, much deeper and more intense.

"Is that too much to ask?" Kakashi sighed and was ready to propped himself up. He took her silence as a no and he was quite disappointed. With a sigh, he shrugged. "Guess I have to get going now. Don't wanna be late for a mission because I got no good luck kiss from my…uh…girlfriend right?"

"Kakashi…" He called her his girlfriend.

"I have to get going." He said, one eye on her. She knew he was trailing his voice on purpose. He sounded like a little boy who lost his candy. "I'm walking out of your room now…a lonely man."

Hinata giggled and reached out. She managed to grab his arm just in time and pulled him back. When he raised his eyebrow at her, she looked at him bashfully. Her cheeks were hot but she sucked in her breath and pulled out her courage. Maybe it was the fact that they were alone on her bed that was making her nervous…and not the fact that he was asking for a kiss.

Slowly, she leaned forward until her nose tip touched his. She felt him grew still and her heart rose to her throat. They kissed a few times before…and some are very intense encounters,but this moment was different. This time…he was asking for a kiss and not a forced one. "Are we just going to stare each other down to oblivion?" She heard him mutter in an impatient tone.

Hinata closed her eyes and gently pressed her lips against his waiting ones.

It should have been a short kiss, one that could have ended as soon as it connected. But being the gluttonous one that he was, Kakashi decided that he won't have any of it, so before the blue haired girl could pull away, she found herself being pulled closer.

Firmly, he held the nape of her neck to keep her on place.

Hinata's breaths turned shaky and her mind was suddenly focused alone on the man before her. Kakashi was kissing her gently, trying his best to hold his desires back as he tried to savor the sweet moment of their physical contact. He knew that they were going to face a lot of troubles ahead by entering into this strange…and almost taboo kind of relationship. It was inevitable, and they both know it.

In Konoha, teacher and student kind of relationship was…well, rare, and some people just don't look at it normally.

So better make the best of it now that it was still peaceful.

After letting her go once in a time that she was not supposed to exist, never did her expect that he was going to have her back after eighteen years. He thought that their connection in the past was all gone and he has to move on and forget her. He saw her being born and that was enough to drive him insane.

Seeing her as a baby was a proof that time was so against them and it was very, very painful.

Yes, he tried to move on and even believed that he actually managed to do so. He watched her grew into a kind and beautiful girl and even made himself her self-proclaimed protector. Unfortunately, when she was slowly growing up into a young lady, he had to distance himself because his old emotions were starting to bother him.

It was easy to be with a child but not with a young woman.

"K-kakashi…" Hinata whispered when he let her neck free and broke the kiss. Her face was warm and he touched it with his thumb, caressing the soft, silken skin. Kakashi smiled and it was rather shaky. He still wanted to kiss and hold her close but heaven knows the things that were running around his mind right now.

He has to stop in case he might do something that was not supposed to be done.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "I have to get going."

"H-hai." She looked at the clock. "B-be careful and…d-don't…" She paused to give her lip a bite. She was embarrassed to say it out loud but she really wanted to say it to him personally. "Don't look at other…uhm… older and more mature women while on the mission okay?" She knew how attractive he was even with his mask on. She even heard Genma mentioned once that a lot of women had offered themselves to Kakashi—for free. She did not have the courage to ask of he accepted or not though, and that knowledge alone was making her worried. "I…d-don't mean to sound rude but…"

Kakashi chuckled and gave her head a pat, making her hair messier than it already was. "You're my hime… don't worry yourself." Straightening up, he returned the mask back on place. "See you in two days."

There was a sudden gush of wind from the open window and it made Hinata blinked—and in that flash of a second that her eyes were closed—Kakashi was gone, leaving her alone again with the sudden feeling of emptiness.

She missed him already.

-o-

Tsunade crossed out a few notes on her manila folder and grumbled to herself. She was alone in the office and was doing some overtime work. She should be in a pub at this time of the night, enjoying a little peace and quiet. With a sigh, she diverted her gaze on the small box filled with files. It was placed on the chair in front of her desk.

Her angry scowl was replaced with a sly smile. It was weird how that simple box filled with files could change her mood so quick.

"Well…I never expected for Kakashi to be so good in paper work duty." She said to herself. Tsunade was feeling pleased. She knew something happened inside the accounting room. She just knew it. The moment that Kakashi brought her the box of neatly organized files, she just knew.

Well, if the fact that the Copy Nin was the one who finished almost all of the paper works was not an indication enough, she doesn't know what more could give him away. The Hatake was one great lazy ass—everyone knew that—and him finishing the rest of paper works with the personal request of letting Genma off the hook was pretty impressive.

Or was he just trying to prevent the Shiranui and Hyuga in working together?

She also saw Kakashi and the Hyuga the other day in the bookstore when she passed by it to get a new stash of her favorite sake from the store just across the street. In normal and unsuspecting eyes, their subtle way of sharing stolen looks and shy smiles were almost unnoticeable.

But her sharp eyes saw it all.

She saw the way Kakashi was observing the young Hyuga when he thought that the bluenette wasn't looking. He was good at pretending that he was observing the book next to the girl, but Tsunade knew otherwise. Hell, she was the fucking Sannin-slash- Hokage for heaven's sake. She could detect and observe the slightest things with precision.

Well…except for gambling. It was an entirely different subject and she was not going to ponder about it more than she should.

"Time…" Tsunade muttered to herself. "I'll give them time. I have waited long enough so maybe I'll wait a little longer and see what happens. Oh… I can't wait to see Hiashi's face."

The sannin knew that it was not really her business to play love doctor between the Copy Nin and the Heiress, but their silent and strange relationship was reminding her of a past relationship with Dan. She never had a second chance after that…for she cannot bring herself to open her feelings again for a new man.

Even to Jaraiya.

And seeing the two got another second chance in life and in love was making her feel better.

-o-

Hinata clicked her tongue when she felt the first drops of rain on her forehead. She was carrying a few bags of groceries and was on her way back to the Hyuga compound when the rain started. She thought she was going to make it back before it falls…

But guess weather was one of those harder things to predict.

Quickening her steps, she decided to make a detour and picked the way that leads to training field six. The field was the nearest place for her right to go right now and the most convenient. There was a small hut that was constructed in there a few months ago and she guessed that she could use it as a temporary shelter from the rain.

The hut was supposed to be a storage place for punching bags, extra wood dummies and other materials used for training. It was build mostly with wood and was only half enclosed. But still, she knew it would serve as a good shelter.

When she reached the said field, it was then that the rain started to get stronger. There would also be accompanying claps of thunder that made her close her eyes. She was not really scared of thunders, but it was a habit that she developed since she was a child.

Dropping the grocery bags on the ground, she wiped the rain drops from her lashes and looked around the hut, thankful that it could help hide her from the cold rain and the harsh winds. With a sigh, she sat on the dry ground and leaned her back on a wooden brace.

All she has to do now was to wait until the rain stops.

"Kakashi won't like it that you and are together in this place." A voice said from behind and Hinata yelped in surprise, the ninja part of her screaming defense. Only S-class nins and very skilled people could sneak from behind a Jounin, and that means that these kind of people are dangerous. Crawling on all fours, she hastily propped herself up and wheeled around.

She heard a smirk.

"You have the talent to see from miles away. Why don't you use it sometimes just to keep anyone from getting behind you?" Sasuke asked as he slowly tilted his head to the side. Just like the Hyuga, he was also caught in this rain and decided to take shelter under the hut. He was already making himself comfortable when she entered like a wet kitten.

A cute kitten…no wonder Kakashi's so possessive.

Hinata blinked when she saw Konoha's top girl magnet. He was sitting behind a stack of target circles so she hasn't seen him in first look. There was also no chakra signature so it was really out of her league to detect a Shinobi like him. Admit it or not, the Uchiha was a sannin in the making…just like the rest of his teammates.

So unless if she used her Byakugan…

"I…I don't use my Byukugan if I don't have to. I am inside the village so…there's no need really." She wanted to tell him that by using her bloodline limit more than necessary, she tend to see a lot of private things that she doesn't want to speak of. Besides, Hyugas are trained since childhood not to disrupt Konoha's privacy because of their gift.

"Hn."

Wait…did Sasuke said something about Kakashi?

"Ano…" Hinata remembered the list that Kakashi gave her the other night. She really has no idea why, but he stated clearly that he doesn't want her anywhere near this young man. That fact made her curious of course…and not anywhere near scared. This was Naruto's best friend after all. "The rain trapped you in here too?"

"Yeah."

"Ah…"

"What's that?" Sasuke pointed at the bags.

"Groceries."

"Hn."

-o-o-o-

_Here ends the chapter. Sorry for the late update…just got a lot of things going on in here._

_-crazychan_


	24. Chapter 24

_Just to remind you, I am not really following the manga timeline. Some of the characters' birthdates are changed to fit my story line. So Just in case some minor alterations confuse some of my nice readers out there._

_Add me in snapchat guys! (crazy-chan12)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto for all credits belongs to Kishimoto-sama_

-o-o-o-

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Ano…did you just say something about Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata asked, easing herself on the ground to lean again on the wooden brace. She never had the courage to talk to Sasuke before, and she felt weird that she was talking to him now.

What's weirder was that he was actually talking back.

He was one of those silent and odd types, and even though he was a part of the rookie nine, he was never close to anyone except for his team…especially Naruto. Sasuke's personality was very reserved…almost like Shino. The only difference between them was the aura of dark intention and killer intent that follows the Uchiha everywhere.

"Sensei?" Sasuke sounded amused and it confused her. He was looking at her slyly and it was visible on his dark eyes. For a short moment, they stared at each other. One was trying to decipher some hidden meaning while the other was almost mischievous. "You call Kakashi…sensei still?"

Hinata blinked. It was an odd question for her. "O-of course. Why would not I call him sensei?"

Sasuke smirked.

Hinata was confused all the more.

"I thought you are calling him…" The Uchiha's lips twitched. For a second, he looked as if he was about to continue his sentence but finally shook his head. Sasuke was smart enough to know the limits of what he should express and speak. Even though he was not afraid of Kakashi and his deadly skills, that doesn't mean that it wouldn't hurt if it was focused on him. Besides, he was still using the girl as his training ticket and letting her know that he was aware of what's going on between her and the Copy Nin might destroy it.

So might as well play for a little longer.

"Never mind." He said. Sasuke got to admit that he was also curious, and he wanted to find the answers to his questions. Why would Kakashi—who never looked at anyone before—would let his guard down for this Hyuga girl? And a girl that was almost half his age at that. Not to mention that he will be facing a lot of trouble with the Hyuga clan if his little tryst with Hiashi's daughter leaks out.

He knew this girl since they were in the academy, and there was nothing really remarkable about her except for her blue hair and Hyuga eyes—the good fortune of being born in a clan of powerful dojutsu users. Oh, and he also remembered her fainting habit when Naruto idiot was nearby. She was also the weakest of the entire rookie nine during their academy days and so weak in fact, that she was hated by her cousin, Hyuga Neji.

He knew this information not because he was interested but there was a time that he wanted to test his skills against a Hyuga genius like Neji. And with that idea, he would observe Neji and later realized how he hated Hinata by the way he acted and vocalized.

But when he returned from his little 'revenge' mission, he was surprised how their relationship has improved. Neji was like a devoted servant to this Hyuga Hime and he doesn't know why.

Unconsciously, his dark eyes trailed on her chest. Was it because she has changed so much and was one of those curvy and pretty girls that could make men go stupid?

The great toad sannin, Jaraiya, goes nuts with Tsunade and her extravagant curves. Iruka's nose always bleeds when Naruto would use his sexy jutsu on him, and he remembered the Lord Third and other renowned Shinobi falling for the sexy trap a few times too.

So was it like that with Kakashi and Neji?

Suddenly, Sasuke's eyes narrowed. With his new hypothesis, he mentally proclaimed that those curves were now his enemies. Very dangerous enemies.

"The rain is getting stronger." Hinata commented, cutting him from his thoughts.

"Hn."

She sighed and wrapped her arms around her knees. If only she was not carrying a few items that would get bad if wet, she would have faced the harsh weather head on. "W-why are you alone in here Sasuke-kun?" She asked. She was hoping that they would continue to talk than let the silence engulf them both. Maybe she could befriend the Uchiha?

Sasuke studied her first before opening his mouth. "I never knew you are a talker Hyuga. I thought you are one of those silent types."

Hinata blushed. "Ano…am I too loud? Gomenasai." She shut her mouth and looked away. So much for trying to have a friendly talk.

Sasuke's eyebrow rose when the Hyuga turned silent as a corpse. He was kind of used with people that would keep on talking even reprimanded. His teammates, Naruto and Sakura were two examples of that. "Hn." Without much of a thought, he observed her by the side of his right eye. Aburame and Inouzuka are lucky guys to have a silent member like her.

"Sasuke-kun!" A voice calling outside made the two looked at each other. They both knew it was Sakura Haruno's voice. Sasuke sighed while Hinata stood up and brushed her behind before walking towards the open side of the hut and peeked.

"Sasuke-kun! Where are you?"

There. Hinata saw Sakura running towards the hut, her bubblegum pink hair dripping with rain water and her red clothing sticking to her thin frame like second skin. With good intention, she waved. "Sakura-chan!" she called. Sakura halted and stared at her.

"Where's Sasuke?" Sakura asked, her eyes narrowing. She knew Sasuke was around this training ground somewhere, and seeing the former Hyuga heiress was making her suspicious. Well, she won't be suspicious like this if Sasuke did not say anything about wanting to date her.

"Inside." The girl gestured inside the hut. "You are wet Sakura-chan…why don't you—"

"No thanks." Sakura wheeled around. It kind of pisses her that Hinata was the one who was talking to her right now and looking all concerned and caring. Sasuke should be the one looking worried…not this Hyuga."Tell Sasuke-kun that Naruto was looking for him the whole day. He should show up and spend time with us sometimes."

"S-Sakura?"

"See you around Hinata-chan."

-o-

"I'll go this way." Tenzou Yamato jerked a thumb to the right as he stopped by a tree branch. He was one step ahead of his mission partner and he looked back at him to make sure that what he meant was being followed. Kakashi was a little lax in this mission and it was weird. Usually, he was the more aggressive and the 'scarier' one.

But even if that was the case, the mission was successful and they were now inside Konoha's borders alive and well and also about to get their job paychecks, not to mention that it was a good mark on their Shinobi files.

So all is well…he guess.

"Sure." Kakashi replied, not really paying attention. The rain was soaking his vest and shirt it was getting on his nerves. He was really impatient to go back to his apartment and change into something comfortable and dry. His mask was not helping too, the cloth was wet and it was making it hard to breath.

And he really wanted to check on his _Hime_. It may sound weird, but he was not really into relationships before. He may have the occasional one night stand or two but not the kind that he was in now. Kakashi hated to admit it, but he doesn't know anything about formal relationships and he was conscious if he was doing the right things. Hinata was his first…girlfriend. And every time he thinks about that fact, he can't help but winced at how pitiful it sounded.

He really needs to borrow those attitude and personality books from Sai… just in case he needed some more information about how relationships should be like.

Yeah, that would be a good choice.

"So, see you around then _Senpai_." Yamato smiled as he wiped a bead of water from his nose. The cold was getting on his bones and he was starting to shiver. He saw Kakashi frown at him and he chuckled. "Just joking."

Kakashi doesn't like being called Senpai just like he doesn't like to be called Tenzou, but it was a private joke between old comrades and it always brought back old memories.

"Hai._ Kohai_." Kakashi waved a hand as he crouched and leaped to the opposite direction that Yamato was going to take. He was planning on taking the shortcut to his apartment and the fastest was making a beeline near training ground thirteen.

As the rain continued to pour over him, Kakashi found himself leaping faster and faster that everything around him turned into a greenish brown blur. As he was about to make a turn, something that was the color of red and pink whipped past him. Recognizing the powerful chakra signature, he made a grab just in time for him to hear a sob.

"Sakura-chan?" He frowned at the state that his student was in. He caught her by the arm and he got to admit that his shoulder joint hurt when he pulled her back. The girl was so strong and has the potential of becoming a future sanin someday, just like Tsunade. Studying the girl's face, he saw that her eyes were red and tears were cunningly hiding behind the cover of rain.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura was surprised to see her teacher at this part of Konoha's forest. As far as she knew, no one really comes here except for the guard nins and occasional Anbu. Blinking away her surprise, she managed a smile. "I…I did not know you were here."

"I'm just passing."

"Did you just arrive from a mission?" The pinkette asked, eyeing the wet pack on his back. "I can sense some slight disarray of your chakra at the back of your neck. Are you hurt sensei?"

"Asking two questions at once." Kakashi let Sakura's arm go. "Hai. I just came from a mission and my neck is fine. Just got a little trouble on the way but nothing to worry about." With a slight narrowing of his visible eye, he pointed at her nose. "Have you been crying?"

"No."

"Right." He looked at her with a false believing tone.

Sakura looked down, afraid that her team captain was going to read her thoughts. Kakashi was really good in reading her emotions because he knew her well. They have been in the same team for years. With a shaky sigh, her lips started to quiver as fresh tears mingled with the rain drops.

"Sasuke again huh?" Kakashi took a swing to Sakura's usual problem. It was no news that Sasuke was always acting like a jerk towards her. He cares for the Uchiha really, but sometimes, he got to admit that Sasuke was not the nicest of persons. The boy really needs to do a personality check-up.

Sakura nodded.

"What did he do this time?"

Sakura sniffed. "You may think of me as an immature girl for being this…this crybaby. The reason is quite hollow really…but I can't help getting hurt sensei."

"You are not immature Sakura." Kakashi scratched his wet spikes of a hair. "Trust me. I know."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Kakashi was not the kind to fall in love and be in a relationship, so how would he know? As far as she knew, he was notorious for making girls cry. Well, not on purpose…but still.

"So are you going to tell me?" Her sensei asked.

"Promise not to tell?"

"Have I ever failed you before?"

Sakura bit her lip in contemplation. She then nodded her head when her mind was set. "Okay…uhm… Sasuke is with…is with Hinata-chan. I came looking for Sasuke when the rain started because I don't want him straining himself with training and getting cold like the last time. But when I looked for him, he was with _her_."

Kakashi froze.

"S-sensei?"

"Where?" Kakashi asked.

"In the newly built hut that was used to keep the training equipments dry."

**-o-o-o-**

_Here ends the chapter! Please review._

_-crazygurl12_


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